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THE    EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 


THE  Ca].M-'-:-i::]-,u 
EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 


BY    THE 

BARON   DE   MENEVAL 

MINISTER   PLENIPOTENTIARY 


translated  from  the  french 
By  D.  D.  FRASER 


LONDON 

SAMPSON  LOW,  MARSTON  &>   CO. 

LIMITED 


4  ;;►? 


»   •     • 


(P  ^ 


MERCAT  PRESS  EDINBURGH 


CONTENTS 


FAGB 

Introduction        .  .  i 


CHAPTER    I 

Josephine's  birth  at  Martinique. — Her  destiny  is  predicted. 
— Mme.  de  Renaudin  suggests  her  coming  to  France. 
— Her  arrival  in  France  and  marriage  with  Viscount 
de  Beauharnais. — Disagreements  in  early  married 
life. — Birth  of  Eugene  de  Beauharnais. — Viscount  de 
Beauharnais  separates  from  his  wife.^— First  symptoms  of 
revolution. — Birth  of  Hortense  de  Beauharnais. — 
Josephine  visits  Martinique,  and  is  reconciled  to  her 
husband         ...... 


CHAPTER   II 

Alexander  de  Beauharnais'  political  activities. — Louis  XVI's 
flight  to  Varennes. — Beauharnais  becomes  President  of 
the  National  Assembly. — Appointed  Commander-in- 
chief  of  the  Army  of  the  Rhine. — Resigns  his  post,  and 
is  imprisoned. — Josephine  endeavours  to  save  him. — 
Arrest  and  imprisonment. — 1794. — Beauharnais  exe- 
cuted on  the  6  Thermidor. — Fall  of  Robespierre  and 
Josephine's  release      ..... 

vii 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER   III 


1 796-1 797. — Calumnies  of  which  Josephine  was  the  victim. 
— Her  poverty  owing  to  the  confiscation  of  General  de 
Beauharnais'  property. — Her  journey  to  Hamburg  with 
her  children. — M.  Mathiessen. — Josephine's  return  to 
Paris. — Hortense  de  Beauharnais  confided  to  the  care  of 
Mme.  Campan. — Eugene  visits  General  Bonaparte. — 
Josephine  makes  Bonaparte's  acquaintance.  —  Her 
marriage  with  General  Bonaparte. — His  departure 
twelve  days  later  for  the  Army  of  Italy. — Josephine's 
influence  over  her  second  husband       .  .  .29 


CHAPTER   IV 

Josephine  becomes  the  object  of  general  regard. — Her 
husband's  exploits  shed  a  reflected  lustre  on  her. — 
Bonaparte's  letters  to  Josephine. — Josephine  sets  out  for 
Italy  at  her  husband's  request. — Her  flattering  reception 
at  Milan. — She  takes  up  her  residence  at  the  Serbelloni 
palace. — More  letters  from  Bonaparte  to  his  wife. — 
Josephine's  return  to  France,  after  having  visited  Rome, 
Venice  and  Genoa     .  .  .  .  .39 


CHAPTER  V 

Return  of  General  and  Mme.  Bonaparte  to  Paris. — Honours 
paid  to  the  conqueror  of  Austria. — Fete  given  by 
Talleyrand. — ^Josephine's  taste  for  luxury  and  dress. — 
Her  extravagance. — Her  house  in  the  Rue  de  la 
Victoire  and  her  receptions. — Projected  expedition  to 
Egypt. — Napoleon  leaves  for  Toulon  on  3rd  May  1798. 
— ^Josephine  disappointed  at  not  accompanying  her 
husband. — She  goes  to  Plombieres. — Meets  with  a  serious 
accident. — Slanderous  reports  sent  to  Bonaparte  with 
regard  to  his  wife. — Painful  scene  between  them  on  his 
return. — Complete  reconciliation  follows 

viii 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  VI 


PAGE 


1 799- 1 800.  —  Josephine's     happy     disposition.  —  Profound 

devotion  to  Napoleon. — Bonaparte  appointed  First  '  < 
Consul  after  the  coup  tTetat  of  1 8th  Brumaire. — Resideitce 
first  at  the  Luxemburg  and  then  at  the  Tuileries. — 
Details  with  regard  to  the  Consular  palace. — Mme.  de 
Montesson. — Tact  with  which  Josephine  played  the 
part  of  Consort  to  the  Chief  of  the  State. — Estab- 
lishment of  a  court  on  a  modest  scale. — ^Josephine's  want 
of  economy  the  subject  of  Bonaparte's  remonstrances     .  64 


CHAPTER  VII 

[-1802. — Peace  of  Luneville  signed  after  the  battles  of 
Marengo  and  Hohenlinden. — Unsuccessful  mission  of 
Madame  de  Guiche  to  Josephine  and  the  First  Consul  on 
behalf  of  Bourbon  princes. — Attempted  assassination  of 
the  Emperor. — An  era  of  general  peace  seems  to  open 
after  the  treaty  of  Luneville. — Happy  days  at  La 
Malmaison. — Josephine's  partiality  for  Fouche. — An 
accusation  brought  against  Josephine  in  the  Memorial  is 
confuted  by  evidence  drawn  from  Thibaudeau's  Memoires. 
— Louis  Bonaparte ;  his  marriage  to  Hortense  de 
Beauharnais. — Peace  of  Amiens  in  May,  1802. — Birth 
of  Louis  Bonaparte's  eldest  son. — Signing  of  the 
Concordat    .  .  .  .  .  -75 


CHAPTER   VIII 

Rupture  of  the  peace  of  Amiens  in  1803. — ^Josephine's  fears 
on  account  of  her  husband's  and  her  own  increasing 
greatness. — ^Journey  of  the  First  Consul  and  his  wife 
into  the  Belgian  provinces. — ^Josephine's  letter  to 
Hortense. — Conspiracy  of  Georges  Cadoudal. — Camp 
at  Boulogne  ;  preparations  for  the  invasion  of  England. 
— Two  letters  from  Josephine's  private  correspondence. 
— Conviction  of  the  Cadoudal  conspirators. — Arrest  and 
execution  of  the  Duke  of  Enghien. — ^Josephine's  grief 
at  the  event  ......  87 

ix 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER   IX 


PAGft 


1 804. — Proclamation  of  the  Empire. — The  Senate  proceeds 
to  St.  Cloud  to  greet  the  new  Emperor  and  Empress. — 
Speech  of  Cambaceres. — Organisation  of  the  Court  and 
officers  of  State. — Dissensions  in  the  imperial  family 
previous  to  the  coronation. — Arrival  of  Pope  Pius 
VII  in  Paris. — Secret  religious  marriage  of  Josephine 
and  Napoleon. — Imposing  consecration  and  coronation 
ceremonies    .  .  .  .  .  .98 

CHAPTER   X 

Josephine  receives  congratulations  and  homage. — Honours 
conferred  on  her  son  Eugene. — New  coalition  against 
Napoleon. — 1805. — Napoleon  takes  the  field. — His 
letters  to  Josephine. — Capitulation  of  Ulm. — Letter  of 
Josephine  to  her  daughter,  and  further  letters  to 
Napoleon. — ^Josephine  wishes  to  accompany  her  husband. 
Arrival  of  Napoleon  at  Vienna. — ^Josephine's  journey  to 
Munich. — Victory  of  Austerlitz  .  .  .109 

CHAPTER   XI 

Residence  of  the  Empress  at  Munich. — Napoleon's  letters  to 
her. — Peace  of  Pressburg. — Napoleon  at  Munich. — 
Prince  Eugene's  marriage  to  the  daughter  of  the  King 
of  Bavaria. — ^Josephine's  satisfaction,  and  her  letter  to 
Hortense. — Stephanie  de  Beauharnais  marries  the  Prince 
of  Baden. — Napoleon's  brothers  made  kings. — 1806. — 
Prussian  Campaign. — Sundry  correspondence. — ^Jose- 
phine wishes  to  go  to  Berlin  .  .  .  .121 

CHAPTER   XII 

Josephine  vexed  at  her  long  separation  from  Napoleon. — His 
letters  reasoning  with  her, — First  fears  as  to  the  possibility 
of  a  divorce. — Part  played  by  Fouche. — Death  of  Queen 
Hortense's  eldest  son. — Grief  of  Josephine. — 1807. — 
Victories  of  Eylau  and  Friedland. — Peace  of  Tilsit. — 
Napoleon's  return. — The  Empress'  household. — Fouche's 
insolent  behaviour  and  insinuations  towards  Josephine. 
— Napoleon  at  Milan. — He  appoints  Prince  Eugene 
viceroy  of  Italy  and  nominates  him  successor  to  the 
throne  of  that  country  .  .  .  .134 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER   XIII 


PAGE 


1808. — Napoleon's  attention  attracted  by  events  in  Spain.  4^ 
— Interview  at  Bayonne  and  stay  at  Marrac. — Empress 
Josephine  accompanies  Napoleon. — Queen  Marie  Louise 
of  Spain. — Return  to  St.  Cloud  to  celebrate  the  15th 
August. — Interview  with  Russian  Emperor  at  Erfurt. — 
Napoleon's  campaign  in  Spain. — Austria  adopts  a  hostile 
attitude. — Preparations  for  war. — Josephine  at  Strasburg. 
— Napoleon  wounded  at  Ratisbon. — Victory  of  Wagram. 
— Armistice,  followed  by  conclusion  of  peace. — 
Attempted  assassination  of  Napoleon. — Renewed  ideas 
of  divorce         .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .149 

CHAPTER   XIV 

1809. — Napoleon  goes  to  Fontainebleau. — Preliminaries  of 
divorce. — Prince  Cambacer^s  opposes  the  scheme. — 
Josephine's  distress  and  perplexity. — Napoleon's  inter- 
view with  Lavalette. — C3n  30th  November  Napoleon 
announces  his  intentions  to  Josephine. — Details  as 
described  Bausset's  memoirs        .         .         .         .         .162 

CHAPTER   XV 

Letter  from  Prince  Eugene  to  Napoleon. — Arrival  of  several 
sovereigns  in  Paris. — Banquet  at  the  Tuileries. — Last 
appearance  of  Josephine  in  public. — Arrival  of  Prince 
Eugene  in  Paris. — Napoleon's  conversation  with  him. — 
Letter  of  Josephine  to  Napoleon. — The  Emperor's 
reply. — M.  de  Narbonne. — Annulment  of  the  religious 
bond  between  Josephine  and  Napoleon. — The  question 
of  a  Russian  or  Austrian  alliance. — Josephine  favours  the 
latter 174 

CHAPTER   XVI 

Ceremony  of  divorce. — Speeches  of  Napoleon  and  Josephine  at 
the  moment  of  their  separation. — Napoleon's  dejection. 
— Distressing  scene  between  him  and  Josephine  during 
the  evening. — The  Emperor  takes  up  his  residence  at 
Trianon. — Josephine  leaves  the  Tuileries. — Last  public 
tribute  of  the  Senate  to  Josephine. — Napoleon  visits  her 
at  Malmaison. — His  frequent  letters  to  Josephine. — 
Her  fears  lest  she  may  have  to  leave  France. — Napoleon 
reassures  her    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .186 

xi 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER   XVII 


PAGE 


1 8  lo. — Josephine  leaves  for  the  chateau  ofNavarre.— Rumours 
spread  in  her  neighbourhood  about  Napoleon  and  his 
new  consort  Marie  Louise  — ^Josephine's  letters  to  the 
Emperor  and  his  replies. — Napoleon's  wish  that  she 
should  be  treated  with  the  same  ceremony  as  heretofore. 
— ^Josephine's  letters  to  Queen  Hortense. — She  proceeds 
to  Geneva. — Goes  to  Aix  in  Savoy,  to  take  the  waters. 
—Particulars  of  her  residence  there. — Her  continual 
fear  of  being  ordered  to  leave  France  and  of  being 
forgotten  by  the  Emperor  .  .  .  .  .199 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

[. — Works  carried  out  by  Josephine  at  Navarre. — Life 
led  by  her  there. — The  abbe  of  Saint-Albin. — 
Monseigneur  Bourlier,  Bishop  of  Evreux. — Royal 
luxury. — Amusements  and  occupations  of  Josephine  and 
her  household. — Conversations  at  Navarre  reported  to 
the  Emperor. — Composition  of  Josephine's  court. — 
New  Year's  Day  at  Navarre. — Queen  Hortense  with 
her  mother. — Birth  of  the  King  of  Rome  announced 
to  Josephine. — The  Emperor's  letter  to  her. — The 
Empress'  liberality  to  the  bearer  of  the  message    .  .       212 


CHAPTER  XIX 

181 2. — ^Josephine's  return  to  Malmaison. — The  relic  room. — 
Cambaceres  and  Massena. — Account  of  one  of  Napoleon's 
visits  to  Josephine. — M.  de  Bausset. — Madame  de 
Montesquiou  brings  the  King  of  Rome  to  Josephine  at 
Bagatelle. — The  Russian  campaign. — Stay  of  Napoleon 
and  Marie  Louise  at  Dresden. — ^Josephine  stays  with 
her  daughter-in-law  at  Milan. — Her  anxiety  during  the 
retreat  from  Russia. — Eugene  charged  with  bringing 
back  the  army. — Two  letters  from  Napoleon  to  Josephine 
during  the  summer  of  1 8 1 3       .....       225 

xii 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


CHAPTER   XX 

i8 1 3-1 8 14. — French  Campaign. — Prince  Eugene  defends 
Italy  against  the  Austrians. — Napoleon's  letter  to 
Joseph  Bonaparte. — ^Josephine's  letter  to  her  son. — 
The  Allies  approach  Paris  and  Josephine  takes  refuge  at 
Navarre. — Details  of  the  flight. — ^Josephine's  depression. 
— Occurrences  at  Fontainbleau  and  the  Emperor's 
abdication. — The  Allied  Sovereigns  desirous  that 
Josephine  should  return  to  Malmaison. — A  message 
from  the  Duke  of  Bassano  informs  Josephine  of 
Napoleon's  abdication. — ^Josephine's  despair. — She  re- 
turns to  Malmaison. — Eugene  arrives  there  at  the  end 
of  April.  .  ......       236 

CHAPTER   XXI 

The  Emperor  of  Russia  interviews  Josephine  at  Malmaison. — 
He  manifests  a  desire  to  be  useful  to  her  and  her 
children. — Queen  Hortense's  repugnance  to  being  in- 
debted to  him. — ^Josephine's  fears  of  being  expelled  from 
France  by  the  government  of  Louis  XVIII. — Emperor 
Alexander's  advice. — ^Josephine  visits  her  daughter  at 
Saint-Leu. — She  is  unwell  on  her  return  to  Malmaison. 
— Her  anxieties  about  her  children's  future  and 
Napoleon's  fate. — Her  illness  becomes  more  serious. — 
Frequent  visits  of  the  Czar,  the  King  of  Prussia  and 
several  grand  dukes. — On  25  th  May  the  malady  has 
made  alarming  progress. — She  dies  in  Prince  Eugene's 
arms  on  29th  May,  Whitsunday. — Funeral  obsequies 
carried  out  with  great  pomp      .....       248 

CHAPTER    XXII 

Marie  Louise  neglects  Napoleon  in  his  exile. — Words 
attributed  to  Cardinal  Fesch  with  regard  to  Napoleon's 
downfall. — Account  of  a  visit  made  by  Napoleon  to 
Malmaison  during  the  Hundred  Days. — Queen  Hortense 
receives  him. — Estimates  of  Josephine's  character  by 
Bausset,  Rovigo  and  Meneval. — Criticisms  to  which 
the  Empress'  career  gave  rise. — Summary  of  Josephine's 
character  and  influence     .  .  .  .  .  .261 

Appendix       .........       273 

Index ,  ,       27J 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

The  Empress  Josephine  .         .         .         .      Frontispiece 

Napoleon  in  1796 Page  32 

Josephine  AT  Malmaison,  1798  ....  64 
The  Coronation  of  Josephine,  2nd  December  1804  104 
The  Marriage  of  Prince  Eugene  de  Beauharnais 

AND  Princess  Amelia  of  Bavaria    .         .         ,144 

Malmaison 176 

The  Divorce  of  Josephine 208 

HORTENSE  DE  BeAUHARNAIS      .....  24O 


;^Y 


INTRODUCTION 

Certain  circumstances  have  put  us  in  possession 
of  numerous  letters,  for  the  most  part  autographs, 
addressed  by  Queen  Hortense  to  the  Abbe  Bertrand, 
formerly  chaplain  to  the  Empress  Josephine's 
daughter,  and  her  children's  first  tutor.  We  also 
possess  forty-seven  letters,  written  in  his  own  hand 
by  her  youngest  son,  afterwards  the  Emperor 
Napoleon  III,  and  addressed  to  the  same  Abb6 
Bertrand.* 

In  Queen  Hortense's  letters,  which  are  now  before 
us,  frequent  mention  is  naturally  made  of  the  Empress 
Josephine,  and  this  has  given  us  the  idea  of  retracing 
the  principal  aspects  of  the  life  of  the  Emperor 
Napoleon's  first  wife,  full  as  it  was  of  surprises  and 
of  contrasts. 

From  the  downfall  of  the  Imperial  regime  in  1 8 1 5, 
it  need  hardly  be  said  that  insult  and  calumny  were 
heaped  upon  the  principal  members  of  the  Bonaparte 
family.  The  Empress  Josephine,  as  may  easily  be 
supposed,  was  not  spared  any  more  than  the  others. 
Her  reputation  became  the  object,  at  this  period,  of 

*  None  of  these  letters  have  been  published. 


'  **,^^'rKE  , EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

the  most  unjust  attacks  ;  she  has  even  at  the  present 
day  been  treated  more  severely  than  fairly  by  some 
modern  authors. 

Queen  Hortense,  maligned  as  she  was  herself  also 
by  the  libels  of  the  time,  could  not  but  take  her 
mother's  part  and  defend  energetically  the  character  of 
one  whose  memory  was  so  dear  to  her.  It  will  be 
admitted  that  she  would  have  proved  very  ungrateful 
had  she  done  otherwise.  The  preface  she  wrote  to 
the  collection  of  Napoleon's  letters  to  his  first  wife,  a 
curious  collection  published  by  Didot  in  1832, 
contains  some  sharp  criticisms  of  several  passages  in 
the  Memorial  of  St  Helena.  If  Napoleon  had  been 
able  to  re-read  at  leisure  this  last-mentioned  work,  it 
is  probable  that  his  notes,  like  those  he  has  left  on 
Fleury  de  Chaboulon's  book,  would  on  more  than  one 
point  have  given  a  new  version  of  his  opinions,  or 
rather  of  those  attributed  to  him  by  the  narrator  of 
these  interviews. 

However  this  may  be,  we  shall  quote  here  some 
passages  from  Queen  Hortense's  correspondence  with 
the  Abb6  Bertrand,  a  correspondence  which  extends 
from  1824  to  1836,  and  which  continued  till  the  end 
of  her  life.  On  the  9th  March  1825  Hortense  wrote 
a  long  letter  to  her  former  chaplain,  from  which  we 
make  the  following  extract  : 

' .  .  .  I  have  read,  like  you,  all  these  works  that 
have  just  been  published  ;  the  conversations  are  devoid 
of  common  sense.  How  can  one  attempt  to  repeat 
that  which  one  has  often  difficulty  in  hearing  correctly 
and  which  is  so  evanescent  that  the  tone  and  expres- 


INTRODUCTION 

sion  sometimes  convey  much  more  than  the  words. 
When  the  Emperor  said  with  a  smile  and  a  satisfied 
air  :  "  My  wife  was  jealous^''  he  seemed  pleased  about 
it ;  M.  de  las  Cases,  who  has  repeated  the  remark, 
but  who  cannot  breathe  life  into  the  printed  page  or 
paint  for  us  the  speaker*s  expression  of  countenance, 
becomes  thereby  an  unfaithful  reporter,  seeing  that  he 
depicts  for  us  a  malevolent  remark,  while  what  he 
really  heard  was  a  benevolent  one.  1  am  convinced 
that  this  is  so  by  what  he  said  to  me  at  Frankfort 
when  I  met  him  :  "  How  the  Emperor  loved  your  mother ^^ 
he  said,  "  how  often  he  spoke  to  me  with  pleasure  about 
her  I  My  manuscripts  are  full  of  her  praises^  uttered  by 
the  Emperor  in  my  hearing.^''  You  see,  my  dear  Abbe, 
how  he  has  defeated  his  own  purpose,  for  it  is  his 
book  that  has  given  rise  to  the  libel,  at  which  you 
have  been  rightly  so  incensed.  It  was  something  new 
and  appetising  to  speak  evil  of  my  mother  ;  as  far 
as  I  am  concerned,  it  was  an  old  habit  ;  what  was 
said  about  myself  I  passed  over  with  scorn,  nor  was 
it  that  which  affected  me  most.   .   .   .' 

In  another  letter  from  Queen  Hortense  addressed  to 
the  same  ecclesiastic,  written  at  Arenemberg  on  9th 
October  1825,  there  occurs  such  a  lively  and  bitter 
criticism  of  the  Memorial  and  of  M.  de  las  Cases 
that  we  have  hesitated  to  reproduce  it.  Still,  as  we 
cannot  claim  the  right  either  to  challenge  or  support 
the  opinions  of  Josephine's  daughter,  the  reader  will 
agree  with  us  that  the  responsibility  for  them  remains 
with  her.  The  following  is  the  angry  paragraph  she 
devotes  to  this  work,  which  from  many  points  of  view 

3 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

is  so  interesting  and  so  remarkable  :'...!  have 
received  your  letter  on  the  subject  of  M.  Dulaure's 
work  ;  it  seems  simple  enough  that  he  has  obtained 
from  M.  de  las  Cases'  book  details  which  he  must 
have  thought  true,  and  who  would  have  said  that 
falsehood  and  calumny  about  the  Empress  Josephine 
would  come  from  that  quarter  !  If  I  were  not  lazy, 
I  would  amuse  myself  by  writing  what  I  recognised 
in  the  Mimorial  as  dictated  by  the  emperor,  and  what 
was  M.  de  las  Cases*  own  invention/ 

Poor  Queen  Hortense  !  What  would  she  have  said 
now  on  reading  how  her  mother  is  maligned  in  certain 
works  to  which  a  frivolous  public  attaches  an  import- 
ance they  do  not  deserve.  No  one,  it  is  true, 
is  a  good  judge  in  his  own  cause,  and  whatever  the 
wife  of  Louis  Bonaparte  may  say,  the  Count  de  las 
Cases  may  have  been  a  more  faithful  interpreter  of 
the  conversations  at  St  Helena  than  the  former 
Queen  of  Holland  seems  disposed  to  believe.  .  .  . 

A  little  further  on,  in  the  same  letter,  the  queen 
adds  the  following  picturesque  observation,  '  After  all, 
as  I  said  before,  we  are  big  Marionnettes^  made  to 
act  our  parts  to  amuse  the  passers-by  and  to  bring  in 
money,  and  I  shall  be  Her  Highness  the  Moon  or 
Her  Majesty  the  Sun  according  to  the  whim  of  the 
showman.  .  .  . ' 

Would  not  one  think  that  this  observation  was 
written  to  describe  what  so  often  happens  to-day  accord- 
ing to  narratives  which  lay  claim  to  historic  accuracy  } 

Two  other  letters  written  by  Queen  Hortense  con- 
tain passages  referring  to  the  same  idea,  which  deserve, 

4 


INTRODUCTION 

perhaps,  to  be  quoted.  In  one  of  them,  dated  3rd 
January  1834,  the  mother  of  Napoleon  III  utters  this 
aphorism  : 

'  History  is  already  commencing  for  us  and  where 
will  facts  concerning  my  career  be  sought  for  ?  In 
libels  which  have  remained  unanswered  since  1815/ 

Finally,  not  to  trespass  too  much  on  the  reader's 
patience,  we  shall  close  our  quotations  from  Queen 
Hortense's  writings  by  a  last  paragraph,  taken  from  a 
letter  addressed  like  the  previous  ones  to  Abbe 
Bertrand,  and  dated  the  30th  January  1835,  ^bout  a 
year  before  the  queen's  death  : 

^  It  is  always  the  same  kind  of  pusillanimity  I  know 
so  well :  "  Do  not  let  us  speak  of  the  past !  do  not 
let  us  stir  the  ashes  of  the  dead  !  '*  they  say, — but 
history,  having  no  respect  for  the  ashes  of  the  dead, 
and  living  entirely  on  the  records  of  the  past,  comes 
and  draws  us  a  picture  copied  from  libellous  accounts, 
and  the  picture  remains  thus  drawn  because  of  the 
weakness  and  ingratitude  of  contemporaries.  I  live 
far  from  the  world,  my  dear  Abbe,  and  I  do  not  regret 
it.  I  see  it  from  such  a  distance  and  from  such  a 
height  that  it  seems  to  me  to  become  more  insignifi- 
cant every  day  ;  at  least  that  world  of  the  large  cities 
where  the  noise,  the  bustle  and  the  dust  prevent  one 
from  seeing  or  judging  of  anything  sanely.' 

There  is  certainly  a  great  deal  of  truth  in  these 
reflections  of  a  bitter  philosophy,  penned  by  this  poor 
queen,  fallen  from  her  high  estate,  who  did  not  live 
long  enough  to  take  part  in  the  apotheosis  of  her  son, 
the  Emperor  Napoleon  III. 

5 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

In  undertaking  the  narration  of  the  principal  events 
which  have  marked  the  career  of  the  Empress  Josephine, 
whose  history  has  been  so  faithfully  recorded  by  a 
writer  of  talent,  M.  Aubenas,  we  shall  not  attempt 
to  relate  over  again  for  the  reader's  benefit  a  legion  of 
well  known  incidents,  but  we  shall  be  in  a  position,  we 
believe,  to  acquaint  him  with  more  than  one  detail  of 
interest,  which  has  never  been  published.  We  hope 
to  attain  this  result,  thanks  to  letters  which  have  been 
scrupulously  preserved  among  our  collection  of  auto- 
graphs, and  to  our  private  researches.  In  brief,  if  the 
Empress  Josephine  was  not  exempt  from  some  weak- 
nesses, she  was  never  in  our  judgment  the  selfish  and 
perverse  woman,  whose  memory  and  fair  fame  certain 
authors  seem  to  have  undertaken  to  destroy.  She 
was  Napoleon's  good  genius,  and  seconded  him  nobly 
in  the  work  of  national  regeneration,  undertaken  in 
consequence  of  the  overthrow  of  everything  which  had 
been  achieved  as  the  result  of  a  bloody  revolution. 
The  weaknesses,  moreover,  with  which  she  has  been 
charged,  have  received  an  extraordinarily  full  treatment 
in  works  inspired  by  a  deliberate  parti  pris.  Those 
who  have  been  Josephine's  worst  detractors,  being 
unable  to  furnish  precise  information  as  to  her  errors 
of  conduct,  have  generally  been  reduced  to  searching 
for  accusations  against  her  in  pamphlets  which  they 
even  abstain  from  naming.  We  may  add  that  no  one 
has  been' able  to  discover  any  serious  fault  with  which 
to  reproach  her,  from  the  moment  she  ascended  the 
throne  with  her  consort.  Her  grace,  her  proverbial 
goodness,  her  kind  disposition  so  full  of  sweetness  and 

6 


INTRODUCTION 

charm,  had  made  a  conquest  of  all  hearts  ;  and  after 
all,  she  never  even  felt,  much  less  harboured,  either 
hatred  or  ill-will  for  her  worst  enemies.  This  is  a 
rare  meed  of  praise,  which  few  as  highly  placed  as  the 
Empress  Josephine  have  merited  from  posterity.  In 
conclusion  a  last  touching  tribute  of  respectful  esteem 
has  been  paid  to  her  memory  by  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt 
himself.  In  one  of  his  conversations  with  his  intimate 
confidant,  M.  de  Prokesch-Osten,  Napoleon's  son 
expressed  himself  with  reference  to  his  father's  first 
wife  in  the  following  terms  :  "  If  Josephine  had  been  my 
mother,  my^ther  would  not  have  been  at  St  Helena, 
and  I  would  not  be  languishing  at  Vienna.  .  ."  ^ 

The  unfortunate  prince  had  every  reason  for  forming 
this  opinion,  for  the  Empress  Josephine,  very  different 
in  this  from  Marie-Louise,  was  above  all  things  an 
incomparable  mother.  The  filial  piety  which  her  son, 
Prince  Eugene,  and  her  daughter,  Queen  Hortense, 
never  ceased  to  exhibit  towards  her  on  every  occasion, 
both  during  her  life  and  after  her  death,  has  j  ustified 
the  remark  uttered  by  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt,  and 
preserved  at  Vienna  amongst  the  papers  of  M.  de 
Prokesch-Osten,  which  for  long  remained  unpublished. 

*  The  Due  de  Reichstadt,  by  Henri  Welschinger,  in  accordance 
with  the  unpublished  notes  of  the  Chevalier  de  Prokesch-Osten,  p.  53. 
Publishers,  de  Soye  et  fils,  Paris,  1907. 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 


CHAPTER  I 

Marie  Joseph  Rose  Tascher  de  la  Pagerie  was  born 
at  Martinique,  on  the  property  of  his  parents,  at  Trois 
Ilets,  on  the  23rd  of  June  1763.  His  father,  M. 
Tascher,  had  served  with  the  troops  garrisoning  this 
island  and  had  helped  to  defend  it  against  the  attacks 
of  the  British  fleet  during  the  American  war  in  Louis 
XVFs  reign.  The  mother  of  the  future  empress  was 
Mile,  de  Sanois,  who  also  belonged  to  a  Creole  family. 
The  reader  must  not,  however,  expect  to  find  in  this 
sketch  a  genealogical  history  of  these  two  families,  for 
M.  Aubenas,  the  estimable  author  of  a  biography  of 
the  Empress  Josephine,  has  given  many  interesting 
details  on  this  subject,  which  it  would  be  superfluous 
to  repeat.* 

The  school  education  of  Mile,  de  la  Pagerie,  like 
that  of  all  children  of  Creole  parents  brought  up  in  the 
colonies,  was  characterized  by  the  laisser  aller  and 
carelessness  which  were  tolerated  there  in  those  early 
days  ;  but  this  was  by  no  means  the  case  with  her  home 

*  See  PHistoire  de  Pimpiratrice  Josephine^  by  J.  Aubenas,  1859. 
Published  by  Amyot,  rue  de  la  Paix,  Paris. 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

training,  which  was  conducted  with  the  greatest  care, 
as  was  only  natural  in  a  refined  society  where  the  cult 
of  courtesy  and  good  manners  was  a  matter  of  tradition. 
This  kind  of  education,  the  want  of  which  always 
makes  itself  felt  in  later  life,  was  a  privilege  enjoyed 
by  the  future  Viscountess  de  Beauharnais,  and  was 
destined  to  make  her  the  accomplished  woman  of  the 
world  which  she  afterwards  became. 

Josephine's  youth  was  passed  peacefully  under  the 
sunny  skies  of  the  Antilles,  in  whose  genial  climate 
winter  and  frosts  are  unknown,  in  the  midst  of  the 
negro  slaves  of  her  paternal  domain.  Her  natural 
kindness  of  heart  made  her  very  much  beloved  by  these 
poor  creatures,  who  looked  upon  her  as  their  guardian 
angel  and  whose  miseries  and  infirmities  she  relieved. 
According  to  a  well  authenticated  story,  an  old  negro 
woman,  who  was  somewhat  of  a  sorceress,  predicted  at 
this  period  a  very  high  destiny  for  her  ;  and  as  this 
prophecy  was  fully  realised  in  a  most  extraordinary 
manner  at  a  much  later  date,  it  is  possibly  the  origin 
of  the  superstitious  leanings  which  all  Josephine's 
biographers  agree  in  attributing  to  her.* 

*  *  Almost  queen.  .  .  .  More  than  queen.  .  .  .  Veiled  queen.  .  .  .' 
Such  were  the  predictions  made  to  three  young  girls  of  Mar- 
tinique at  two  different  periods  by  fortune-telling  negresses,  and  all 
three  prophecies  came  true. 

The  first  was  made  to  Fran9oise  d'Aubigne,  who  had  taken  refuge 
with  her  father  at  Martinique.  Nothing  foreshadowed  the  success  of 
the  prophecy  as  long  as  Fran9oise  d'Aubigne  remained  the  wife  of 
Scarron  ;  but  we  know  that  she  became  Madame  de  Maintenon  and 
*  almost  queen.' 

Josephine  Tascher  de  la  Pagerie  was  very  uncertain  of  the  future, 
even  when  she  was  the  wife  of  the  general  Viscount  de  Beauharnais 

10 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

One  of  Mile,  de  la  Pagerie's  aunts,  Mme.  de 
Renaudin,  a  woman  with  a  strong  will  and  a  fertile 
imagination,  conceived  the  plan  of  letting  her  come  to 
France  and  arranging  a  marriage  which  would  be 
as  advantageous  to  herself  as  to  her  niece.  She  had 
for  long  been  intimate  with  the  Beauharnais  family 
and  dreamed  of  drawing  the  bonds  of  friendship 'Still 
closer.  For  several  years  Mme.  de  Renaudin  had 
been  on  excellent  terms  with  the  old  Marquis  de 
Beauharnais,  ex-Commodore  of  the  Fleet,  whose 
acquaintance  she  had  made  during  one  of  his  visits  to 
Martinique  and  of  whom  she  had  never  since  lost 
sight. 

This  clever  lady  resolved  to  employ  all  her  wits  and 
tact  to  bring  her  matrimonial  negotiations  to  a  success- 
ful issue.  The  Marquis  de  Beauharnais  had  a  son,  the 
Viscount  Alexander,  who  was  still  quite  a  young  man, 
and  it  was  on  him  that  Mme.  de  Renaudin  had  fixed 
her  choice  for  her  niece.  A  youth  of  nineteen  is 
easily  influenced  by  a  clever  and  insinuating  woman  of 
nearly  twice  his  age,  especially  when  this  woman  is 
already  received  into  his  father's  family  on  a  footing 
of  intimacy. 

and  even  when  she  married  the  young  general  Bonaparte,  who  how- 
ever made  her  *  more  than  queen/ 

As  to  the  third,  who  was  destined  to  reign  in  the  shade,  this  was 
Mile.  Dubuc  de  Rivery,  contemporary  and  relative  of  Josephine 
Tascher.  She  was  taken  prisoner  at  sea  by  pirates  and  transported 
to  the  harem  at  Constantinople,  where  she  became  the  Sultan's 
favourite  wife. 

Abd-ul-Aziz,  grandson  of  the  last  mentioned,  reminded  Napoleon 
III  smilingly  of  this  relationship,  when  he  visited  the  International 
Exhibition  of  Paris  in  1867. 

II 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Mme.  de  Renaudin  had  succeeded  in  obtaining 
the  approval  of  the  Tascher  de  la  Pagerie  family  for 
her  schemes  in  favour  of  her  young  niece.  A  very 
courteous  exchange  of  letters  formed  a  prelude  to  the 
negotiations  which  were  commenced  with  a  view  to  the 
proposed  union,  and  Josephine,  accompanied  by  her 
father,  embarked  on  the  Pomone  and  arrived  at  Brest 
towards  the  end  of  the  year  1779.  The  choice  had 
fallen  at  first  on  her  younger  sister,  whose  age  was 
more  in  accordance  with  that  of  Alexander  de  Beau- 
harnais,  but  the  young  lady  showed  no  inclination  to 
leave  her  parents.  She  died  not  long  afterwards  at 
Martinique. 

From  the  moment  that  Josephine  set  foot  on  French 
soil  Mme.  de  Renaudin  took  possession  of  her  and 
did  her  utmost  to  bring  about  a  complete  transforma- 
tion in  her  niece.  This  affectionate  aunt,  whom  a  resi- 
dence of  twenty  years  in  the  capital  of  the  kingdom 
had  made  a  true  Parisienne^  undertook  to  teach  the 
young  Creole  worldly  wisdom  and  everything  in  which 
a  somewhat  neglected  education  had  left  her  deficient. 
Her  education  accomplished,  the  marriage  of  Josephine 
and  Alexander  de  Beauharnais  was  celebrated  on  the  1 3th 
of  December  1779  in  the  church  of  Noisy-le-Grand. 
The  bridegroom  was  only  nineteen  years  of  age  and 
the  bride  only  sixteen  ;  was  it  to  be  expected  that 
M.  de  Beauharnais  would  possess  sufficient  experi- 
ence and  the  necessary  tact  to  guide  his  young  wife  in 
the  many  delicate  questions  which  might  arise  }  The 
reader  will  learn  from  the  following  pages  that 
Alexander  de  Beauharnais  proved  himself  incapable  of 

12 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

accomplishing  this  always  difficult  task  ;  his  youth 
indeed  rendered  such  a  result  inevitable. 

Josephine  also  on  her  side  was  not  altogether  free 
from  blame,  if  we  are  to  believe  a  letter  addressed  by 
her  youthful  consort  to  his  former  tutor,  M. 
Patricol.  From  this  letter,  which  is  to  be  found  in 
M.  Aubenas'  work,  we  make  a  few  extracts : 

*  When  I  saw  Mile,  de  la  Pagerie,'  he  writes,  ^  1 
thought  I  could  live  happily  with  her  ;  I  at  once 
formed  the  plan  of  reforming  her  education  and  of 
making  up  by  my  earnest  endeavours  for  the  first 
fifteen  neglected  years  of  her  life.  Shortly  after  our 
union  however  I  found  in  her  a  want  of  confidence  in 
me  which  surprised  me,  as  I  had  done  everything  to 
inspire  such  confidence,  and  this  discovery  has,  I 
confess,  somewhat  cooled  my  zeal  for  her  instruction. 


*  Instead  of  staying  at  home  the  greater  part  of  the 
day  and  sitting  opposite  a  person  who  has  nothing  to 
say  to  me,  I  now  go  out  a  great  deal  more  than  I 
intended  to  do  and  I  am  resuming  again  to  some  extent 
my  old  bachelor  existence.  Do  not  think,  however, 
that  it  is  without  a  pang  that  I  relinquish  the  hope  I 
had  cherished  of  a  happy  married  life.  Although  I 
have  been  leading  a  very  worldly  life  since  I  have 
regained  my  liberty,  I  have  not  lost  the  taste  for 
occupation.  I  am  quite  ready  to  give  the  preference  to 
the  happiness  of  home  life  and  domestic  peace  rather 
than  to  the  tumultuous  pleasures  of  society,  but  I 
imagined  that  if  I  acted  thus  and  my  wife  really   felt 

13 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

any  affection  for  me,  she  would  make  some  efforts  to 
draw  me  to  her  and  to  acquire  those  qualities  which 
I  love  and  which  are  capable  of  keeping  me  at  her 
side.  Well,  just  the  opposite  of  what  I  had  hoped  has 
taken  place.' 

When  such  evidences  of  misunderstanding  are 
apparent  from  the  first  in  the  marital  relations,  a  com- 
plete absence  of  harmony  is  only  a  question  of  time, 
and  the  breach  will  necessarily  widen  by  degrees 
between  a  husband  and  wife  thus  unsuited  to  each  other. 
Of  all  the  causes  which  tend  to  break  the  conjugal 
bond,  incompatibility  of  temper  is  undeniably  the 
most  serious,  since  temporary  reconciliations  however 
tactfully  effected  do  not  prevent  the  continual  recur- 
rence of  the  troubles  arising  therefrom. 

However  this  may  be,  Josephine,  after  two  years  of 
wedded  life,  gave  birth  to  a  son  who  was  destined  to 
shed  lustre  on  the  name  of  Beauharnais  and  to  be 
known  afterwards  as  Prince  Eugene.  This  event, 
which  might  have  brought  the  parents  nearer  to  each 
other,  only  resulted  in  a  very  temporary  improvement 
in  their  relations,  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  Mme. 
de  Renaudin  and  of  the  Beauharnais  family  to  render 
it  lasting  and  thorough.  Alexander  de  Beauharnais 
soon  became  again  absorbed  m  his  military  career  and 
duties,  and  Josephine  found  herself  once  more 
abandoned  by  her  young  and  flighty  consort,  who 
shortly  afterwards  took  ship  for  Martinique.  The 
Marquis  de  Bouille  was  engaged  at  this  time  in  fitting 
out  a  naval  expedition  to  the  Antilles,  with  the  object  of 
capturing  Jamaica  and    forcing  the  English  to  make 

14 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

peace.  M.  de  Bouille  had  accepted  Alexander  de 
Beauharnais'  offer  to  take  service  under  him  in  the 
campaign  which  was  being  set  on  foot.  Josephine's 
husband  therefore  took  his  departure  for  Brest  in 
September  1782,  leaving  her  enceinte  for  the  second 
time  ;  but  he  had  hardly  arrived  at  Martinique,  where 
he  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  various  members  of 
the  Tascher  family,  when  the  news  reached  the  colony 
that  the  preliminaries  of  peace  between  France  and 
England  had  been  signed.  The  treaty  of  Versailles, 
concluded  some  months  later,  restored  to  the  English 
the  conquests  made  by  M.  de  Bouille  in  the 
Antilles  and  thus  rendered  Viscount  de  Beauharnais* 
voyage  useless.  His  brief  stay  at  Martinique 
only  served  to  embitter  the  relations,  already  some- 
what cold,  between  him  and  Josephine's  family.  A 
somewhat  sharp  correspondence  between  Alexander  de 
Beauharnais  and  his  father-in-law,  Mons.  Tascher, 
finally  extinguished  any  hope  of  conciliation  between 
them. 

Alexander  returned  to  Paris,  after  a  quick  passage 
across  the  Atlantic,  extremely  angry  at  the  reproaches 
contained  in  M.  de  la  Pagerie's  letters  and  in  a 
state  of  great  exasperation  against  Josephine  and  her 
parents.  He  at  once  gave  practical  proof  of  this 
exasperation  by  petitioning  the  Paris  parliament  for  a 
separation  from  his  unfortunate  wife. 

All  the  time  this  suit,  which  lasted  nearly  a  year, 
was  pending,  the  young  Viscountess  de  Beauharnais 
resided  almost  uninterruptedly  at  the  Abbey  of 
Panthemont,  in  the  rue  de  Grenelle-Saint-Germain.    In 

15 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

1783  she  gave  birth  to  a  daughter,  who  was  to  become 
at  a  later  date  Queen  Hortense,  mother  of  Napoleon 
III.  A  decree  of  the  parliament  of  Paris  decided  the 
suit  in  Josephine's  favour ;  the  whole  Beauharnais 
family  had  already  sided  with  her  against  her  husband. 
Her  father-in-law,  the  Marquis  de  Beauharnais,  had 
rented  a  house  for  his  daughter-in-law  and  himself  at 
Fontainebleau,  where  Josephine  later  on  was  to  occupy 
the  throne  as  empress.  Her  aunts  Mmes.  de 
Renaudin  and  Fanny  de  Beauharnais  took  up  their 
abode  there  at  the  same  time  and  kept  their  niece 
company  for  about  three  years. 

M.  Aubenas,  in  his  interesting  history  of  Nap- 
oleon's first  wife,  informs  us  as  to  the  names  of  the 
principal  persons  who  were  on  visiting  terms  at  Fontaine- 
bleau with  Josephine  and  the  Beauharnais.  Amongst 
others  he  mentions  M.  de  Montmorin,  governor  of 
the  town,  M.  and  Mme.  de  Chezac,  Miles.  Ceconi, 
M.  Hue  and  his  daughters.  Viscount  and 
Viscountess  de  Bethizy,  M.  and  Mme.  Jamain,  and 
lastly  M.  d'Acy.* 

In  the  month  of  June  1788,  Josephine  de 
Beauharnais,  still  separated  from  her  husband,  gave 
way  to  the  entreaties  of  her  parents  and  resolved 
to  go  and  rejoin  them  at  Martinique.  She  pro- 
ceeded to  Havre  and  embarked  there  with  her 
daughter  Hortense,  the  vessel  which  bore  them 
nearly  foundering  in  a  violent  storm  that  overtook 
them  shortly  after  leaving  port.  At  the  end  of 
a  crossing  that  was  not  marked  by  any  further  incident 
*  Aubenas,  Vol.  i. 
16 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

of  an  untoward  nature,  Josephine  set  foot  at  last 
on  her  native  isle  and  enjoyed  a  period  of  rest  and 
quietness  there  in  the  midst  of  her  family  and  of 
the  scenes  of  her  childhood.  Mile.  Cochelet,  reader 
to  Queen  Hortense,  who  was  at  Havre  with  that 
princess  in  1815  when  the  latter  was  hesitating 
whether  to  embark  for  England  or  the  Antilles,  has 
recorded  what  she  said  at  the  time  in  referring  to 
the  voyage  she  made  with  her  mother  to  Martinique 
in  1788.  This  is  what  Mile.  Cochelet  relates  on 
this  subject  in  her  Souvenirs  : 

'  A  small  vessel  was  leaving  for  the  islands  ;  we 
went  to  visit  her.  "  How  I  would  like  to  make 
a  voyage  to  Martinique,"  the  queen  said  to  me. 
"  I  was  four  years  old  when  I  came  to  this  port  with 
my  mother,  who  wanted  to  go  and  see  her  native  land 
once  more.  We  embarked  at  Havre  and  1  recollect 
that  a  tremendous  wind  nearly  capsized  the  ship 
at  the  very  mouth  of  the  Seine.  I  remember  quite 
well  the  terror  my  mother  was  in,  though  I  have 
forgotten  where  we  were  staying." 

*She  used  to  tell  me,  while  we  were  seated  on 
the  ship's  deck,  some  of  her  recollections  of  the 
islands  where  she  remained  till  her  seventh  year ; 
she  would  describe  the  part  of  the  country  where 
her  grandmother's  house  was  situated  ;  she  had  not 
forgotten  the  slaves  who  carried  her  in  her  palanquin, 
nor  those  poor  negroes,  whom  the  empress  would 
never  allow  to  be  punished.' 

At  this  time  some  disquieting  symptoms,  pre- 
monitory of  the  revolution,  were  manifesting  them- 
B  17 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

selves  in  France  and  were  even  making  themselves  felt 
as  far  as  the  Antipodes.    The  inhabitants  of  Martinique, 
whose  existence  had  been   quiet  enough  up  to  that 
time,  themselves  experienced  the  shock.    The  Viscount 
Alexander  de  Beauharnais  had  been  one  of  the  first 
to  constitute  himself  a  champion  of  those  liberal  ideas, 
greatly  in  vogue  in   Paris   since  the  termination    of 
the   war   which    had    resulted    in    the    emancipation 
of  the  United  States.     The  happy  time  of  worldly 
amusements,  joyous  festivities  and  frivolous  pleasures 
had  come  to  an  end.     Ideas  and  reflections  of  a  more 
serious  nature  were  beginning  to  take  possession  of 
the   minds    even    of  the   youngest.     The    dissipated 
existence  which  Alexander  de  Beauharnais  had  hitherto 
led,  was   no  longer  in  season.     This  he  understood 
and  he  soon  began  to  regret  the  loss  of  his  wife  and 
of  a  home  to  which  he  had  seemed  for  several  years 
to    attach     so    little    value.      Josephine's    husband, 
rendered    wise   by   the   signs    of    the    coming   crisis 
which  he  felt  was  at  hand,  at  last  began  to  amend 
his  ways,  and  took  steps  to  secure  the  return  of  his 
wife  and  her  daughter.     Was  the  hour  of  a  lasting 
reconciliation  at  length  about  to   strike  ?     Josephine 
thought  so,  and  towards  the  end  of  1790,  in  spite  of 
the  entreaties  of  her  parents,  she  made  preparations 
for  departure  in  order  to  take  her  place  again  at  her 
husband's    side.     After   a   rapid    crossing    Mme.    de 
Beauharnais    arrived    in    Paris    during    the  month  of 
October,  and  received  a  warm  and  affectionate  welcome 
from  her   husband   and  from   her  son  Eugene,  then 
a  boy  of  ten. 

18 


CHAPTER  II 

In  spite  of  the  saying  that  ^  the  absent  are  always  in 
the  wrong  '  it  sometimes  happens  that  the  prolonged 
separation  of  two  persons  who  have  disagreed  is 
sufficient  to  bring  them  back  to  a  more  sensible  view 
of  things  and  to  re-establish  an  amicable  understanding 
between  them.  This  is  what  happened  for  the  period, 
a  very  brief  one  it  is  true,  of  Josephine's  reconciliation 
with  her  husband.  It  was,  however,  no  domestic  storm 
but  the  tempest  of  revolution  which  was  so  soon  to 
break  the  bond  uniting  husband  and  wife. 

During  Josephine's  absence  Alexander  de  Beau- 
harnais,  enamoured  of  the  new  ideas  which  were 
spreading,  had  become  a  person  of  some  political 
importance.  The  nobility  of  the  bailiwick  of  Blois 
had  elected  him  deputy  to  the  States-General  ;  he  had 
reached  at  this  period  the  rank  of  major  of  infantry. 
Full  of  generous  ideals  and  of  confidence  in  the 
schemes  of  reform  which  were  on  foot,  Josephine's 
husband  had  been  one  of  the  forty-seven  members 
of  the  nobility  who,  at  the  close  of  the  sitting  where 
the  oath  of  the  '  Tennis  Court '  was  taken,  voted  for 
the  union  of  their  order  with  that  of  the  '  Third 
Estate.'     On    the    memorable  night  of  4th   August 

19 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

he  had  been  one  of  the  most  eager  to  make  the  sacrifice 
of  the  feudal  rights  which  he  had  enjoyed  from  his 
birth.  The  adoption  of  this  attitude,  which  appealed 
so  strongly  to  the  aspirations  of  the  majority  towards 
the  close  of  the  i8th  century,  resulted  in  M.  de 
Beauharnais  first  being  elected  secretary  of  the  National 
Assembly  and,  a  little  later,  becoming  its  President. 

On  her  return  to  France  and  arrival  in  Paris, 
Josephine  had  at  once  installed  herself  in  a  mansion 
occupied  by  her  husband  in  the  Rue  de  TUniversite 
opposite  the  Rue  de  Poitiers.  Soon  afterwards  she 
received  the  news  of  the  death  of  her  father,  which 
occurred  on  6th  November  1790,  a  few  days  after  she 
had  quitted  the  paternal  roof.  The  Viscountess  de 
Beauharnais  was  then  twenty-seven  years  of  age  and 
her  husband  thirty.  She  was  in  the  full  bloom  of 
her  youth  and  had  acquired  perfect  manners.  M. 
Aubenas'  book  also  informs  us  what  persons  used  to 
be  admitted  to  her  intimate  society.  There  were  in 
addition  to  her  father-in-law  and  her  aunts.  Mile. 
Fanny  de  Beauharnais  and  Mme.  de  Renaudin,  Count 
Mathieu  de  Montmorency,  the  Duke  de  la  Rochefou- 
cauld, a  relative  of  her  husband,  the  Marquis  de 
Caulaincourt,  the  Prince  of  Salm-Kirbourg  and  his 
sister,  the  Princess  of  Hohenzollern.  The  devoted 
efforts  of  this  prince  of  Salm  to  restore  Josephine's 
children  to  their  mother  were  destined  afterwards  at 
the  height  of  the  Terror  to  cost  him  his  life.^ 

Meantime  stirring  events  were  happening  in  rapid 
succession  ;    hardly  a  day  passed  without  some  new 
*  Aubenas,  Vol.  i. 
20 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

alarm.  On  the  20th  June  1791  Paris  awoke  to  learn 
the  news  of  the  flight  of  the  unfortunate  Louis  XVI 
and  the  royal  family,  who  were  shortly  afterwards  ar- 
rested at  Varennes.  Alexander  de  Beauharnais  was  then 
president  of  the  Assembly  and  it  was  in  this  capacity 
that  he  was  commissioned  to  inform  the  deputies  of 
this  alarming  occurrence.  An  account  of  the  political 
r61e  played  by  Josephine's  first  husband  in  the  parlia- 
mentary Assemblies  does  not  come  within  the  scope  of 
this  work.  We  therefore  refer  those  readers  who 
desire  to  know  more  of  this  matter  to  M.  Aubenas* 
most  interesting  book,  fully  supported  as  it  is  by 
documentary  evidence.  We  shall  confine  ourselves  to 
repeating  his  statement  that  Alexander  de  Beauharnais, 
according  to  the  unanimous  verdict  of  all  his  biographers, 
exhibited  a  dignity  and  an  aptitude  for  leading  a  great 
Assembly,  which  won  for  him  the  unqualified  praise 
and  applause  of  his  enemies  as  well  as  of  his  friends. 

The  Legislative  Assembly  had  succeeded  to  the 
National  Assembly,  and  Europe,  irritated  at  the 
humiliation  inflicted  on  royalty  in  this  country,  was 
beginning  to  adopt  a  threatening  attitude  towards 
France.  Viscount  de  Beauharnais  remembered 
he  was  a  soldier.  After  being  ordered  to  rejoin  the 
army  of  the  North,  which  was  under  Luckner's 
command,  he  was  entrusted  shortly  afterwards  with  the 
command  of  a  camp  formed  near  Soissons.  Soon 
afterwards  he  was  attached,  in  the  capacity  of  brigadier- 
general  and  chief  of  the  staff,  to  the  army  of  the  Rhine 
under  the  orders  of  General  de  Bron. 

During  these  warlike  preparations  the  revolution  was 

21 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

pursuing  its  course  and  progressing  with  rapid  steps. 
Louis  XVI  and  his  family,  after  the  humiliations  of 
the  2oth  June  1792,  were  imprisoned  in  the  '  Temple ' 
on  the  loth  August.  On  the  eleventh  of  the  same 
month  the  Duke  de  la  Rochefoucauld,  Alexander  de 
Beauharnais'  relative,  was  assassinated  at  Gisors,  almost 
at  the  same  time  that  Count  Charles  de  Rohan-Chabot 
became  a  victim  at  Paris  of  the  massacre  at  the  Abbaye. 
The  latter  was  Alexander's  nephew,  schoolfellow  and 
friend.  Only  a  few  weeks  after  the  loth  August  the 
horrible  massacres  of  September  took  place,  followed 
by  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  and  the  proclamation 
of  the  Republic.  Finally  on  the  21st  January  1793 
the  execution  of  the  weak  but  good-natured  Louis  XVI 
inaugurated  the  Reign  of  Terror  and  the  guillotine. 

Mme.  de  Beauharnais,  during  this  period  so  prolific 
of  horrors,  wept  for  the  fate  of  the  unfortunate 
monarch  and  the  royal  family,  accustomed  as  she 
was  from  the  days  of  her  childhood  to  love  and 
respect  those  unhappy  rulers.  She  must  however 
have  congratulated  herself  on  the  knowledge  that  her 
husband  was  away  on  the  frontier,  far  from  the 
butchers  who  were  supplying  the  guillotine  with 
victims  and  from  the  pikes  of  the  murdering  sans- 
culottes. Josephine  had  considered  it  her  duty  in 
these  tragic  circumstances  to  place  her  children 
temporarily  under  the  care  of  her  friend  the  Princess 
of  Hohenzollern,  who  had  taken  refuge  at  this  period 
in  Artois  ;  she  hoped  thus  to  put  them  out  of  the 
reach  of  all  danger.  General  de  Beauharnais  however, 
when  he  heard  of  this  arrangement,  sent  a  courier  from 

22 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

Strasburg  to  demand  the  immediate  return  of  Hortense 
and  Eugene  to  Paris  ;  his  orders  were  obeyed,  but,  as 
we  have  mentioned,  their  fulfilment  proved  fatal  to  the 
unhappy  Prince  of  Salm-Kirbourg. 

During  this  period  the  old  Marquis  de  Beauharnais, 
Josephine's  father-in-law,  continued  to  live  quietly  at 
Fontainebleau,  where,  thanks  to  a  certificate  of 
citizenship  which  he  managed  to  obtain  in  the  month 
of  February  1793,  he  was  left  quite  undisturbed. 
Mme.  de  Renaudin,  who  was  much  loved  in  the 
town  and  had  always  borne  herself  with  great  tact, 
faithfully  kept  him  company  and  was  also  able  to 
come  to  the  aid  of  her  niece.  Josephine  generally 
remained  in  Paris  in  her  house  in  the  Rue  de 
rUniversite,  in  order  to  show  the  confidence  she  and 
her  husband  (who  had  meanwhile  become  commander- 
in-chief  of  the  army  of  the  Rhine),  placed  in  the 
revolutionary  party,  now  all-powerful  in  this  much 
tried  city.  This  confidence  was  certainly  more  simu- 
lated than  genuine,  and  was,  as  we  know,  in  no  wise 
justified  by  subsequent  events.  However  this  may  be, 
Josephine  did  not  remain  inactive.  She  collected  and 
passed  on  to  her  husband  all  the  information  which 
she  thought  might  be  useful  to  him,  and  she  was 
assisted  in  this  task  by  her  aunts. 

The  news  transmitted  by  General  de  Beauharnais  to 
the  Assembly  on  22nd  July  1793  from  the  army  of 
the  Rhine  appeared  of  good  omen  and  seemed  to 
portend  in  the  near  future  the  raising  of  the  siege  of 
Mayence,  which  had  been  undertaken  by  the  allies. 
The  consternation  and  anger  of  the    Committee   of 

23 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

Public  Safety  may  easily  be  imagined  when  the 
notorious  Barere,  one  of  its  members,  announced  to 
the  Convention  on  the  28th  of  July  that  on  the  con- 
trary Mayence  had  fallen,  having,  as  he  said,  been 
surrendered  to  the  enemy  in  virtue  of  an  infamous 
capitulation  on  the  23  rd  of  the  month  !  The  army 
under  Beauharnais*  command  was  obliged,  in  con- 
sequence of  this  reverse,  to  retreat  and  fall  back  in 
good  order  on  its  former  position  at  Weissenburg. 
The  capture  of  Valenciennes  soon  afterwards  increased 
the  exasperation  of  the  Paris  Jacobins,  and  their  blind 
hatred  immediately  vented  itself  on  the  officers  of  noble 
birth.  Beauharnais  now  thought  it  his  duty  to  send  in 
his  resignation  as  commander  of  the  army  of  the  Rhine. 
This  resignation  was  not  at  first  accepted,  although  he 
had  offered  to  serve  in  this  same  army  under  any  chief 
whom  it  might  please  the  Convention  to  place  over 
him.  So  little  ambitious  was  he  by  nature  that  he  had 
already  on  a  former  occasion  refused  the  Ministry  of 
War,  when  his  presence  was  wanted  to  replace  the  in- 
capable Bouchotte.  Alexander  de  Beauharnais  fell  ill 
and  his  superiors  were  at  last  compelled  to  accept  his 
resignation.  He  at  once  rejoined  his  wife  and  children 
on  25th  August,  and  took  refuge  with  them  at  his 
family's  estate  of  la  Ferte-Beauharnais,  near  Blois,  where 
he  was  soon  after  elected  mayor  of  his  Commune. 

In  spite  of  this  mark  of  confidence  on  the  part  of 
his  fellow  townsmen,  the  general  in  his  retirement 
realised  he  was  in  danger  and  lived  in  perpetual 
anxiety,  while  trying  to  persuade  himself  that  his  fears 
were  groundless.     Only  a  few  days  after  his  return  to 

24 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

the  bosom  of  his  family,  the  news  of  the  capture  of 
Toulon  by  the  English  served  as  a  pretext  for  the 
passing  of  a  decree,  which  defined  who  were  legally  to 
be  regarded  as  suspected  persons.  In  the  terms  of  this 
decree  the  Moniteur  of  19th  September  declared  to 
be  suspects  those  persons  who,  whether  by  their 
conduct,  the  society  they  frequented,  their  conversation 
or  their  writings,  had  shown  themselves  to  be  the 
partisans  of  tyranny  and  feudalism  and  the  enemies  of 
liberty,  and  those  of  the  late  aristocracy,  whether 
husbands,  wives,  fathers,  mothers,  sons  or  daughters, 
brothers  or  sisters,  or  agents,  of  persons  who  had 
emigrated  and  who  had  not  manifested  a  persistent 
attachment  to  the  Revolution.  This  decree,  promul- 
gated against  officers  who  had  resigned  or  had  been  dis- 
missed, was  really  aimed  at  those  officers  of  noble  birth 
whom  they  particularly  desired  to  ruin.  Alexander  de 
Beauharnais'  elder  brother  had  lately  emigrated,  which 
fact  supplied  a  twofold  motive  for  considering  the 
younger  brother  as  a  suspected  person.  Thence  to  prison 
and  the  scaffiDld  was  but  a  short  step.  Josephine  realised 
this  and  in  these  cruel  circumstances  acted  like  a  heroine. 
Putting  her  trust  in  the  Divine  protection  she  threw  in 
her  lot  courageously  and  firmly  with  that  of  her  husband. 
The  year  1794  was  indeed  to  become  a  fateful  one 
to  the  Beauharnais  family,  exposed  as  they  were  for  so 
many  reasons  to  the  suspicious  rancour  of  the 
Terrorists.  Alexander  de  Beauharnais  was  arrested  in 
the  course  of  January,  and  was  at  first  incarcerated 
in  the  Luxemburg  Palace  with  several  of  his 
companions  in  arms,  whose  too  great  confidence  in 

25 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

the  Republic  was  inevitably  to  lead  to  their  ruin. 
Many  of  them,  Beauharnais  among  the  first,  might 
have  escaped  death  by  leaving  France,  which  had 
become  an  inhospitable  country  for  so  many  of  her 
best  citizens.  But  the  principles  of  Josephine's 
husband,  which  in  this  respect  had  remained  inflexible, 
had  not  permitted  him  to  quit  his  native  soil  and  to 
follow  the  example  of  his  elder  brother. 

Josephine,  in  spite  of  her  natural  sweetness  of 
disposition  and  her  Creole  indolence,  exhibited  in 
these  trying  circumstances  an  energy  that  no  one 
would  have  suspected.  At  several  other  critical 
moments  during  the  course  of  her  chequered  career  we 
shall  see  her  display  a  force  of  character  which  excited 
the  wonder  of  her  contemporaries.  A  more  timid  and 
less  courageous  character  than  that  of  Josephine  might 
have  been  appalled  by  so  many  tragic  occurrences  and 
threatening  dangers.  Mme.  de  Beauharnais,  far  from 
losing  her  head,  never  for  an  instant  dreamed  of  flight, 
and  this  although  she  was  mother  as  well  as  wife,  and 
her  husband  had  never  given  her  any  particular  cause 
for  a  devoted  attachment.  Nevertheless  she  realised  her 
duty  to  its  fullest  extent  and  displayed  the  greatest  activ- 
ity in  endeavouring  to  obtain  her  husband's  release. 
'She  neglected  no  possiblemeans,spared  herself  no  pains,' 
writes  M.  Aubenas,  '  but  schemes,  visits,  letters, 
entreaties  and  prayers  were  all  in  vain.'  During  the 
first  three  months  of  the  year  1794,  eight  thousand 
suspected  persons  were  shut  up  in  the  prisons  of  Paris.* 

Josephine's  courageous  but  imprudent  attitude  could 
*  Aubenas,  Vol.  I. 
26 


/ 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

not  but  be  disastrous  to  her  own  safety.  She  was  ar- 
rested towards  the  middle  of  April  and  shut  up  in  the 
old  Carmelite  convent,  which  had  been  turned  into 
a  prison,  while  her  husband  succeeded  in  obtaining  his 
transfer  to  the  same  building,  though  to  a  part  separated 
from  that  in  which  his  wife  was  confined.  Josephine's 
greatest  grief  at  this  time  was  the  enforced  separation 
from  her  children  without  the  possibility  of  knowing 
what  fate  was  in  store  for  them  ;  for  at  all  periods  of 
her  life  she  was  ever  to  them  the  best  and  tenderest  of 
mothers. 

M.  Aubenas'  history  gives  some  circumstantial 
details  regarding  Josephine's  conduct  in  jail.  Amongst 
the  prison  companions  of  the  future  empress  he 
names  two  women,  who  have  become  celebrated  in 
very  different  ways.  The  one  was  the  Duchess  of 
Aiguillon,  the  other  the  beautiful  Mme.  Tallien,  who 
was  not  yet  united  in  the  bonds  of  matrimony  with 
the  famous  member  of  the  Convention.  Our  Lady  of 
Thermidor,  as  she  has  since  been  called,  was  destined 
to  contribute  in  no  small  degree,  by  the  love  with 
which  she  inspired  Tallien,  to  the  fall  of  Robespierre 
and  the  end  of  the  Reign  of  Terror.  Here  in  this 
Carmelite  prison,  as  in  every  place  where  Josephine 
went  or  lived,  she  succeeded  in  winning  all  hearts. 
Her  natural  kindness  of  disposition,  her  evenness  of 
character  and  lovable  and  refined  manners  gained,  in  this 
time  of  her  captivity  as  well  as  later  on  the  throne,  the 
sympathies  and  affections  of  everyone.  Her  children 
came  to  visit  her  in  prison  after  a  fruitless  attempt  had 
been  made  in  theirname  to  secure  their  mother's  release. 

27 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

M.  Arnault,  the  Academician,  relates  in  his  Souvenirs 
cTun  sexagenaire  the  part  played  by  a  pug  called  Fortune 
in  bringing  Josephine  news  from  outside  by  means  of 
notes  hidden  under  its  collar.  Indeed,  during  the  whole 
lifetime  of  this  faithful  little  dog  its  owners  professed 
a  fondness  for  it  which  almost  amounted  to  worship. 

At  this  time  the  guillotine  was  incessantly  at  work, 
dealing  destruction  with  never  flagging  activity  to 
thousands  of  innocent  lives.  Alexander  de  Beauharnais, 
after  six  months  of  captivity  and  cruel  suspense,  suflFered 
the  same  fate  as  so  many  other  unfortunate  victims, 
and  on  6th  Thermidor,  (26th  July  1794),  mounted 
the  scaffold.  Before  going  to  his  fate  the  unfortunate 
Beauharnais  had  written  a  long  letter  to  his  wife.  Had 
he  remained  but  three  days  longer  in  jail,  till  the  9th 
Thermidor,  his  life  would  have  been  saved !  Robespierr  e*s 
fall  was  the  salvation  of  a  large  number  of  prisoners 
destined  for  execution,  and  in  particular  of  Josephine, 
on  whom  sentence  had  already  been  pronounced. 

We  are  told  that  a  woman  announced  Robespierre's 
execution  to  the  prisoners  in  the  Carmelite  jail  by 
means  of  dumb-show  :  she  first  spread  out  her  dress 
before  them,  then  held  up  a  stone  to  their  view  and  finally 
bringing  the  two  symbols  together  ended  her  pantomime 
by  drawing  her  hand  several  times  across  her  throat.* 

As  soon  as  Josephine  found  herself  once  more  at 
liberty,  she  hastened  to  quit  Paris  with  her  children 
and  took  refuge  at  Fontainebleau  near  those  of  her 
relatives  who  had  succeeded  like  herself  in  escaping 
from  so  many  dangers. 

*  Aubenas,  Vol.  i. 
28 


CHAPTER  III 

Mlle.  de  Lenorm ant's  extremely  fantastic  tales  and 
the  shameless  falsehoods  of  the  English  Jew  Goldsmith, 
at  the  commencement  of  the  nineteenth  century,  have 
given  a  distorted  account  of  the  Empress  Josephine's 
history,  character,  and  personal  appearance.  It  is  not 
by  the  perusal  of  writings  so  unworthy  of  attention 
that  the  reader  should  be  assisted  in  forming  an  opinion 
as  to  the  real  personality  of  Napoleon's  first  consort. 
We  cannot  believe  that  any  serious  historian  will  ever 
take  the  trouble  again  to  publish  the  extravagant 
nonsense  contained  in  these  ridiculous  and  impertinent 
accounts.  Two  years  of  widowhood  now  intervene 
before  Josephine  celebrates  her  second  marriage  with 
General  Bonaparte.  It  seems  superfluous  to  describe 
at  much  length  the  particulars  of  her  life  during  this 
brief  period. 

General  de  Beauharnais'  property  had  been  con- 
fiscated during  the  course  of  the  revolutionary  period, 
and  Josephine  and  her  children,  as  also  all  her 
husband's  relatives  who  had  remained  at  Fontaine- 
bleau,  found  themselves  reduced  to  a  state  of  poverty 
bordering  on  absolute  want.     Mme.  de  Beauharnais 

29 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

had  no  prospect  of  pecuniary  assistance  except  from 
her  mother,  Mme.  de  la  Pagerie,  who  still  lived 
on  her  property  of  Trois  Ilets  at  Martinique.  This 
unhappy  colony  however  was  much  hampered  in  its 
communication  with  the  mother  country,  as  it  was 
distracted  by  a  sort  of  civil  war  and  by  the  English 
conquest.  Some  Dunkerque  merchants,  amongst 
others  a  certain  M.  Emmery,  generously  assisted 
Josephine  at  this  period  of  distress.  As  friends  of  the 
family  of  old  standing  they  advanced  the  general's 
widow  the  sums  necessary  for  her  most  pressing 
requirements,  until  such  time  as  Mme.  de  la  Pagerie 
could  remit  funds  to  her  daughter  and  grand- 
children. 

While  awaiting  the  arrival  of  these  remittances, 
Josephine  and  her  children  were  often  in  great  straits 
and  Mme.  Ducrest  in  her  Mimoires  (chapter  xxxvi) 
has  not  concealed  the  fact  that  during  the  famine 
in  Paris  in  the  year  1795  Madame  de  Beauharnais 
considered  herself  fortunate  in  getting  what  she 
herself  called  her  daily  bread  from  a  Mme.  Dumoulin, 
an  obliging  and  wealthy  lady.  * 

In  the  second  half  of  October  1795  Josephine 
and  her  children  proceeded  to  Hamburg,  so  as  to 
be  in  easier  communication  with  Martinique  and  to 
receive  her  supplies  from  that  island  with  less 
difficulty.  A  banker  of  this  city,  M.  Mathiessen, 
an  obliging  and  kind-hearted  man,  rendered  Mme. 
de   Beauharnais    important   services    during  her  stay 

*  Madame  Ducrest,  Mimoires  sur  Vimperatrice  Josephine.  (Published 
by  Barba.) 

30 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

in  Hamburg.  The  remittances  sent  from  Martinique 
by  Mme.  de  la  Pagerie  to  her  daughter  amounted, 
according  to  a  letter  written  by  Josephine  herself, 
to  the  respectable  figure  of  25,000  francs,  the  moneys 
reaching  her  irregularly  in  larger  or  smaller  amounts. 
For  these  troublous  times  this  was  a  very  con- 
siderable sum. 

'  It  was  thus,'  continues  M.  Aubenas,  to  whose 
history  we  must  always  refer  when  speaking  of  the 
Empress  Josephine,  'to  her  friends  of  Dunkerque 
and  Hamburg,  to  her  mother  and  to  none  besides, 
that  this  courageous  woman  appealed  in  her  honour- 
able poverty.  Her  own  authentic  letters,  simply 
and  naively  written,  tell  us  all  we  want  to  know 
concerning  this  part  of  the  biography  of  Napoleon's 
first  wife.'  * 

As  soon  as  Josephine  saw  her  way  to  live  without 
being  dependent  on  others,  she  hastened  to  return 
to  Paris  in  the  course  of  the  year  1795,  and  placed 
her  daughter  Hortense  in  the  recently  established 
and  afterwards  famous  boarding-school  kept  by 
Mme.  Campan.  We  shall  not  make  particular  mention 
in  this  work  of  that  remarkable  woman,  whose 
history  is  generally  known. 

The  victory  of  13  Vendemiare  had  at  this  time 
established  General  Bonaparte's  reputation  and  he 
had  been  appointed  in  consequence  Commander-in- 
chief  of  the  home  army  with  Paris  as  his  headquarters. 
One  day  Josephine's  son,  the  future  Prince  Eugene, 
then  about  fourteen  years  of  age,  came  to  petition 
*  Aubenas,  Vol.  i. 
31 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Bonaparte  to  restore  to  him  the  sword  of  his  father 
General  de  Beauharnais.  'This  youth/  writes  the 
editor  of  the  Memorial  de  Sainte-HeVene*  '  was  Eugene 
de  Beauharnais,  afterwards  viceroy  of  Italy.  Napoleon, 
touched  by  the  nature  of  the  boy's  request  and  by 
his  manly  and  graceful  bearing,  granted  his  petition. 
Eugene  shed  tears  when  he  saw  his  father's  sword. 
The  general  was  touched  and  was  so  kind  to  him 
that  Mme.  de  Beauharnais  thought  it  her  duty  to 
come  the  following  day  and  tender  him  her  thanks. 
Napoleon  hastened  to  return  her  visit.  Everyone 
knows  the  supreme  gracefulness  of  the  Empress 
Josephine  and  her  sweet  and  attractive  manners.  The 
acquaintance  soon  ripened  into  intimacy  and  ere  long' 
courtship  was  followed  by  marriage.* 

Such  were  the  beginnings  of  the  relations  which 
grew  up  between  the  future  Emperor  Napoleon  and 
the  future  empress,  his  first  wife. 

On  the  2nd  of  November  1795  the  Directoire 
was  established  at  the  Luxemburg  palace.  Bonaparte 
as  yet  hardly  foresaw  the  high  destiny  which  was 
in  store  for  him,  and  only  dreamt  of  making  a 
suitable  marriage  and  settling  down  into  the  home 
life  of  an  ordinary  citizen.  He  had  wanted  at  first 
to  marry  Desiree  Clary,  the  sister-in-law  of  his 
eldest  brother  Joseph,  a  young  lady  who  was  to 
become  a  little  later  Mme.  Bernadotte  and  subse- 
quently Queen  of  Sweden.  He  had  also  thought 
of  betaking  himself  to  Constantinople,  with  the 
mission  of  re-organising  the  Sultan's  artillery  in 
*  Mimorial  de  Sainte-Helene,  by  the  Count  de  Las  Cases. 
32 


NAPOLEON  IN  170. 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

Turkey.  But  Fate,  as  we  know,  had  prepared  a  very 
diiFerent  future  for  him. 

Mme.  de  Beauharnais  had  just  secured  the  house 
of  the  famous  Talma  in  the  Rue  Chantereine.  The 
restitution  of  part  of  General  de  Beauharnais'  property, 
confiscated  during  the  height  of  the  revolutionary 
period,  and  the  regular  remittances  which  came  from 
Martinique  had  enabled  Josephine  to  resume  her 
housekeeping  on  a  fairly  liberal  scale.  She  therefore 
commenced  entertaining  with  her  usual  grace  the 
political,  literary  and  artistic  celebrities  of  the  day  and 
all  that  remained  of  Parisian  good  society.  General 
Bonaparte  promptly  became  one  of  the  most  assiduous 
frequenters  of  Mme.  de  Beauharnais'  salon,  taking 
lessons  in  polite  manners  till  such  time  as  his  marriage 
with  Josephine  should  allow  of  his  borrowing  from  her 
some  elements  of  popularity  and  of  political  influence. 

Madame  de  Beauharnais  was  then  thirty-two  years 
of  age  and  the  general  twenty-six.  We  append  here 
the  flattering  portrait  of  Josephine  which  has  been 
preserved  for  us  in  the  Memoirs  of  Constant, 
Napoleon's  principal  valet  de  chambre, 

'  The  Empress  Josephine  was  of  medium  height  and 
possessed  a  figure  modelled  with  a  rare  perfection  : 
there  was  a  suppleness  and  lightness  in  her  movements 
which  imparted  a  fairy-like  grace  to  every  motion 
without  detracting  from  the  queenly  majesty  of  her 
demeanour.  Her  expressive  features  reflected  the 
varied  emotions  of  her  heart  without  ever  losing  that 
natural  sweetness  which  was  their  principal  charm. 
Whether  moved  by  joy  or  by  sorrow  she  was  beautiful 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

to  look  upon.  Never  did  a  woman  better  justify  the 
saying  that  the  eyes  are  the  mirror  of  the  soul.  Hers, 
of  a  dark  blue,  were  nearly  always  half  closed  by  long 
slightly  arched  eyelids,  fringed  with  the  most  beautiful 
lashes  ever  seen  ;  and,  when  she  looked  thus,  one  felt 
oneself  drawn  towards  her  by  an  irresistible  power. 
The  empress  would  have  found  it  difficult  to  impart 
severity  to  this  bewitching  look,  but  she  could  and  did, 
when  necessary,  render  it  imposing.  Her  hair  was 
very  beautiful,  long  and  silky  ;  its  colour,  a  light 
chestnut,  blended  admirably  with  that  of  her  skin, 
which  was  of  a  brilliant  purity  and  freshness. 

'  But  what  contributed  more  than  all  the  rest  to  the 
charm  of  her  person  was  the  entrancing  tone  of  her 
voice.  How  often  it  has  happened  to  me  and  to  many 
others  that  we  stopped  short  when  we  heard  her  voice, 
solely  to  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  listening  to  it.  One 
could  not  assert  perhaps  that  the  empress  was  a  beauti- 
ful woman,  but  her  face,  so  expressive  of  feeling  and 
goodness,  and  the  angelic  grace  which  characterized  her 
whole  personality,  made  her  the  most  attractive  woman 
in  the  world.'  * 

Josephine  must  have  exercised  over  Napoleon  the 
same  fascination  as  Constant  here  describes,  a  fascination 
which  he,  like  many  of  his  contemporaries,  felt  in  a 
superlative  degree.  But  from  the  first  it  was,  as-  M. 
Aubenas  well  expresses  it,  chiefly  by  her  distinguished 
bearing  and  by  the  superiority  of  manners  and  tone 
which  Bonaparte  discovered  in  her,  that  Mme.  de 
Beauharnais  almost  unconsciously  fascinated  her  many 

*   Memoires  de  Constant,  Napoleon's  principal  *  valet  de  chambre.' 

34 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

admirers.*  M.  Aubenas  has  not  remained  silent  as 
to  the  slander  of  Josephine's  supposed  liaison  with 
Barras,  which,  if  one  were  to  believe  its  inventors  and 
disseminators,  procured  the  command  of  the  army  of 
Italy  for  the  charming  widow's  youthful  bridegroom. 
He  speaks  of  the  report  with  great  discretion  and 
reserve  and  declares  the  whole  story  tcv  be  absolutely 
untrue  and  devoid  of  all  foundation.  According  to 
him  Bonaparte's  nomination  to  the  command  of  the 
army  of  Italy  was  due  to  Carnot,  the  most  upright 
member  of  the  Directoire,  an  assertion  which  is  con- 
firmed by  a  passage  in  the  Memoires  which  have  been 
published  concerning  this  celebrated  personage.f 
However  this  may  be,  Josephine  at  first  repudiated 
the  idea  of  a  second  marriage  of  which  her  children 
were  in  ignorance  and  the  possibility  of  which  filled 
them  with  alarm.  She  was  not  insensible  to  the  tokens 
of  an  ever  increasing  regard  which  General  Bonaparte 
lavished  upon  her,  but  her  heart,  far  from  being 
captivated,  remained    so  far  untouched  that   she  was 

*  Memoires  de  Mademoiselle  Georges,  edited  in  accordance  with  the 
original  manuscript,  by  A.  Cheramy,  1908. 

Visit  to  Saint-Cloud  :  *  She  (Mile.  Raucourt,  the  actress) 
was  very  often  received  by  Mme.  Bonaparte,  (wife  of  the  first 
Consul).  We  proceeded  to  Saint-Cloud  and  Mme.  Raucourt  was 
instantly  admitted.  I  then  saw  the  beautiful  and  gracious  Josephine, 
who  approached  us  with  a  smile  which  was  so  sweet  and  compelling 
that  it  immediately  attracted  one  to  her.  She  was  charming  !  She 
put  one  at  one's  ease,  but  with  the  lofty  manner,  the  elegant 
simplicity,  which  were  her  peculiar  characteristics.  There  was  a 
grace  in  her  whole  bearing  which  magnetised  one.  It  was  impossible 
not  to  bow  before  so  mysterious  an  influence,  so  sweet  a  charm.  One 
loved  her  before  she  began  to  speak,  and  felt  that  she  brought 
happiness  with  her.' 

t  Aubenas,  Vol.  i. 

35 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

almost  tempted  to  reproach  herself  with  ingratitude. 
The  Tascher  de  la  Pagerie  family  and  her  aunts, 
Mile,  de  Beauharnais  and  Mme.  de  Renaudin, 
encouraged  Josephine  to  contract  this  new  union. 
Her  father-in-law,  the  Marquis  de  Beauharnais, 
was  himself  not  inclined  to  oppose  any  objections. 
The  widow  of  Alexander  de  Beauharnais,  however,  still 
hesitated  for  some  time,  remembering  her  first  marriage, 
which  had  not  been  a  happy  one,  and  somewhat  afraid 
of  the  arbitrary  and  imperious  character  of  the  young 
general  who  was  seeking  her  hand.  At  last  on  the 
19th  Ventose  (9th  March  1796)  the  wedding  ceremony 
between  Bonaparte  and  Josephine  was  celebrated  in 
Paris  at  the  town  hall  of  the  2nd  Arrondissement. 
None  of  the  churches  had  as  yet  been  re-opened  and 
the  newly  married  couple  dispensed  with  obtaining  a 
sacerdotal  blessing  on  their  union.  This  neglect  of  so 
important  a  duty  on  the  part  of  a  woman  who  had 
been  born  and  bred  in  the  social  position  to  which 
Josephine  belonged  cannot  but  surprise  her  admirers 
unpleasantly,  even  when  one  takes  into  account  the 
troubles  of  these  revolutionary  times.  One  is  led  to 
suppose  that  her  religious  instruction  at  Martinique, 
as  well  as  her  studies,  had  been  singularly  neglected. 
Many  other  women  in  her  place,  more  religiously 
brought  up  than  Mile,  de  la  Pagerie,  would  have 
refused  to  be  married  solely  by  the  civil  registrar  in 
spite  of  the  closing  of  the  churches.  This  grave 
omission,  which  remains  a  blot  on  Josephine's  second 
marriage,  was  destined  later  on,  in  1809,  to  be  cruelly 
expiated  by  this  good,  lovable  and  intelligent  woman, 

36 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

whose  character  impartial  judges  must  admit  to  have 
been  somewhat  deficient  in  depth  and  seriousness. 

As  to  the  civil  marriage,  it  was  conducted  with  an 
irregularity  of  procedure  only  to  be  excused  by  the 
*  laisser-aller  *  of  the  period  ;  the  production  of  certifi- 
cates of  birth  was  either  not  required  or  these 
documents  were  examined  very  superficially.  Captain 
le  Marois,  one  of  the  witnesses,  was  born  in  1776,  and 
was  thus  a  minor  in  March  1796,  which  disqualified 
him  from  taking  part  officially  in  the  transaction, 

'Twelve  days  after  this  ceremony,'  writes  M. 
Aubenas,  'on  the  21st  of  March  1796,  Bonaparte  bid 
adieu  to  his  wife  and  set  out  for  Nice,  the  head- 
quarters at  the  moment  of  the  staff  of  the  army  of 
Italy,  leaving  happiness  behind  him  and  entering  on 
that  career  of  glory  which  awaited  him  on  the  fields 
of  Piedmont  and  Lombardy.' 

Napoleon's  marriage  with  the  Viscountess  de 
Beauharnais  was  the  subject  of  the  following  comment 
by  one  of  his  companions  in  arms  who  knew  him 
intimately  and  was  indeed  no  less  a  personage  than 
Marshal  Marmont  : 

'  I  am  inclined  to  think,'  he  says  somewhere  in  his 
writings,  '  that  he  (Napoleon)  considered  he  was 
making  by  his  first  marriage  a  greater  advance  in  the 
social  scale  than  when,  sixteen  years  later,  he  shared 
his  nuptial  couch  with  the  daughter  of  the  Caesars  ! ' 

We  must  leave  the  responsibility  for  this  opinion  to 
the  Due  de  Raguse  ;  for  our  part  we  think  the  state- 
ment contains  a  small  element  of  truth  and  a  great 
deal  of  exaggeration.     The  events  of  1 8 1 4  led  to  such 

37 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

a  breach  between  Napoleon  and  his  late  aide-de-camp 
that  we  must  receive  with  special  caution  any  adverse 
opinions  pronounced  by  the  latter  against  his  former 
master. 

General  Bonaparte,  on  leaving  for  the  plains  of 
northern  Italy,  where  he  was  soon  to  gain  such 
decisive  and  glorious  victories,  carried  in  his  heart  the 
image  of  his  beloved  Josephine,  to  whom  he  afterwards 
addressed  the  passionate  letters  which  have  been  pub- 
lished in  the  Didot  collection.  Mme.  Bonaparte's 
affection  for  her  husband,  at  first  of  a  much  calmer 
nature  than  Napoleon's  for  her,  took  some  time  to 
reach  the  same  high  key.  We  shall  find  that  the 
more  Josephine's  attachment  to  her  young  husband 
increased,  the  less  ardent  did  his  love  for  her  insensibly 
become,  until  the  moment  when  it  was  replaced  by  a 
wholesome  and  solid  affection.  Meantime  Josephine 
became  more  and  more  useful  to  Napoleon,  especially 
at  the  period  when  this  great  man  rose  to  supreme 
power.  Bonaparte  at  the  time  of  his  marriage  had, 
it  must  be  admitted,  only  received  a  very  imperfect 
education.  His  speech  and  his  manners,  which  his 
camp  life  had  not  been  calculated  to  improve,  were 
quite  out  of  keeping  with  the  speech  and  manners  of 
the  society  of  the  old  regime,  Josephine,  in  full 
possession  of  that  knowledge  of  the  world  in  which  he 
was  deficient,  became  therefore  of  great  assistance  to  her 
husband.  She  smoothed  the  angles  of  his  harsh  and 
impetuous  character,  and  initiated  him  into  a  number  of 
details  which  in  good  society  have  a  much  greater  im- 
portance than  those  who  are  ignorant  of  them  suppose. 

38 


CHAPTER   IV 

History  has  placed  on  record  the  series  of  brilliant 
exploits  achieved  by  General  Bonaparte  an^i  the  brave 
troops  under  his  command  during  this  memorable 
Italian  campaign.  In  spite  of  her  intention  of  living 
in  seclusion  during  her  husband's  absence,  the  glory 
of  his  victories  shed  a  reflected  lustre  on  Josephine, 
and  all  classes  of  society  vied  with  each  other  in 
paying  her  deference  and  attention  and  in  offering  her 
their  congratulations. 

Intoxicated  as  he  was  with  so  much  success. 
Napoleon  did  not  forget  the  wife  whom  he  still 
adored,  and  addressed  to  her  a  number  of  ardent 
and  passionate  letters,  which  several  historians  have 
thought  fit  to  reproduce  in  their  works.  It  would  be 
impossible  to  repeat  these  here  at  length,  as  the 
list  is  too  long.  We  shall  confine  ourselves  to 
a  few  quotations,  commencing  with  a  letter  of  5 
Floreal  (24th  April  1796).  On  this  date  the 
commander-in-chief  of  the  army  of  Italy  wrote  to 
his  wife  : 

39 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

Carru,  5  Floreal. 


'  Your  letters  are  the  chief  delight  of  my  days,  and 
my  happy  days  are  not  many.  Junot  is  bringing 
twenty-two  flags  to  Paris.  You  must  come  back  with 
him,  dearest,  you  understand  ?  .  .  .  If  I  had  the 
misfortune  to  see  him  return  alone,  my  beloved,  it 
would  be  a  calamity  beyond  remedy,  a  grief  without 
solace,  a  continual  torment.  .  .  . 

*  But  you  will  return,  will  you  not  ?  You  will  be 
here  beside  me,  close  to  me,  in  my  arms.  .  .  .  Take 
wings  and  come,  come  !  But  travel  slowly.  The 
journey  is  a  long  and  fatiguing  one  and  the  roads  are 
bad.  If  you  were  to  meet  with  an  accident  or  to 
come  to  harm  ;  if  fatigue  .  .  .  Come  speedily,  my 
beloved,  but  not  with  too  much  haste. 

'  I  have  received  a  letter  from  Hortense.  She  is 
quite  charming.  I  am  going  to  write  to  her.  I  love 
her  dearly  and  I  shall  soon  send  her  the  scents  she 
asks  for.— N.B.' 

Josephine's  relatives  and  friends  however  did  their 
best  to  keep  her  in  Paris,  regarding  such  a  journey  as 
madness,  while  moreover  certain  indications  of  preg- 
nancy seemed  also  to  prescribe  delay.  Less  eager  than 
her  young  consort  to  hasten  the  moment  of  their  re- 
union, Josephine  looked  forward  with  no  little  appre- 
hension to  the  inconveniences  and  even  the  dangers  of 
such  a  trip,  at  a  time  when  highroads  and  means  of 
conveyance  were  both  so  defective. 

'To    participate     from     the     outset,'      says     M. 

40 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

Aubenas,  '  in  the  fatigues  and  uncertainties  of  a  great 
war,  even  to  bivouac  in  the  Italian  towns,  to  lead  in 
fact  the  life  of  a  soldier  in  the  field,  this  was  too  much 
to  ask  of  Josephine's  Creole  temperament,  in  which 
listlessness,  if  a  grace,  was  also  a  defect.' 

It  will  not  be  without  interest,  we  think,  to  repro- 
duce some  passages  from  a  long  letter  of  the 
27th  Prairial,  year  IV,  (15th  June  1796)  dated  from 
Tortona  and  addressed  by  General  Bonaparte  to 
Josephine.     Here  are  a  few  extracts  : — 


*  I  have  been  accusing  you  of  remaining  in  Paris 
and  you  were  ill  there.  Forgive  me,  my  dearest ;  the 
love  you  have  inspired  has  deprived  me  of  my  reason 
and  I  shall  never  recover  it.  The  disease  is  an  incur- 
able one.  My  forebodings  are  so  gloomy  that  I  would 
be  content  just  to  see  you  and  to  press  you  to  my 
heart  and  then  to  die.  Who  is  taking  care  of  you  ? 
I  suppose  you  have  let  Hortense  come  to  you.  I 
love  that  dear  child  a  thousand  times  more  now  that  I 
think  she  may  be  able  to  console  you  a  little.  As  far 
as  I  am  concerned,  I  shall  have  no  consolation,  no  rest 
and  no  hope  until  the  courier  I  am  sending  you 
returns  and  you  have  explained  in  a  long  letter  the 
nature  of  your  illness,  and  in  how  far  it  is  a  dangerous 
one.  If  it  is  dangerous,  I  warn  you  that  I  shall  start 
at  once  for  Paris.  My  arrival  will  put  your  sickness 
to  flight.  I  have  always  been  lucky.  Never  has  my 
destiny  resisted  my  will,  and  to-day  I  have  received  a 
blow  which    touches    me   more   nearly  than  all  else. 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Josephine,  how  can  you  be  so  long  of  writing  to  me  ? 
Your  last  laconic  epistle  is  dated  the  3rd  of  the  month 
(22nd  May  1796)  ;  it  is  indeed  a  saddening  letter  for 
me,  but  I  always  keep  it  in  my  pocket.  Your  portrait 
and  your  letters  are  ever  before  my  eyes. 

'  I  am  nothing  without  you.  I  can  hardly  conceive 
how  I  existed  without  knowing  you.  Oh,  Josephine, 
if  you  had  known  my  heart,  would  you  have  delayed 
your  departure  from  the  29th  to  the  i6th  ?  Would 
you  have  lent  an  ear  to  false  friends  who  perhaps 
wanted  to  keep  us  apart  ?  I  suspect  every  one  ;  I  am 
angry  with  all  who  are  around  you.  I  had  calculated 
that  you  had  left  on  the  5th,  and  had  arrived  at  Milan 
on  the  I5th.^ 


'  I  am  thinking  night  and  day  of  nothing  but  your 
illness.  Without  appetite,  without  sleep,  without 
interest  for  friendship,  glory  or  country,  I  think  only 
of  you,  and  the  rest  of  the  world  exists  no  more  for 
me  than  if  it  were  annihilated.  I  care  for  honour 
only  because  you  care  for  it,  for  victory  only  because 
it  pleases  you,  otherwise  I  should  have  left  everything 
to  throw  myself  at  your  feet.' 

Two  further  passages  in  this  long  but  interesting 
epistle  deserve  repetition  : 

'What  somewhat  comforts  me,*  Napoleon  says  in 
the  first,  '  is  the  thought  that,  though  it  is   in  fate's 

♦The  first  figures  *  the  29th  to  the  i6th'  correspond  to  i8th 
May  and  4th  June,  the  second,  *  the  5th  and  the  15th,'  to  the 
24th  May  and  3rd  June. 

42 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

power  to  make  you  ill,  It  is  in  no  one's  power  to  force 
me  to  survive  you.' 

In  the  second,  which  ends  the  letter,  Bonaparte 
writes  : 

'  Adorable  woman,  how  great  Is  your  ascendency  ! 
Your  illness  makes  me  ill.  Indeed  I  am  in  a  burning 
fever  !  Do  not  keep  the  courier  more  than  six  hours, 
and  let  him  return  at  once  and  bring  me  the  precious 
letter  from  my  queen. — N.  B.' 

At  last  Josephine  determined  to  yield  to  her  hus- 
band's entreaties,  which  were  so  earnest,  so  tender,  and 
so  often  repeated,  and  she  started  for  Italy  in  the 
month  of  June  1796.  She  was  almost  quite  well 
again  and  her  children  remained  under  Mme. 
Campan's  judicious  motherly  care. 

Marshal  Marmont  writes  in  his  Memoires  :  '  I  was 
sent  on  to  Turin  in  advance  of  Madame  Bonaparte 
and  had  the  opportunity  of  noticing  the  assiduous 
attentions  which  were  lavished  on  her  by  the 
Sardinian  Court  on  her  passage  through  that  city. 
Once  she  had  reached  Milan  General  Bonaparte  was 
overjoyed,  for  now  he  lived  entirely  for  her  :  this  state 
of  affairs  continued  for  a  considerable  time  ;  never 
did  a  truer,  purer  or  more  exclusive  love  take  posses- 
sion of  a  man's  heart,  and  this  was  a  man  of  such  a 
superior  order  ! '  * 

Such  testimony  from  the  Duke  of  Ragusa,  such  a 
glowing  tribute  to  the  sincerity  of  Napoleon's  love  for 
Josephine,  seems  to  us  perfectly  conclusive. 

Welcomed  by  her  husband  at  Milan  with  joyous 
*  Memoires  du  marechal  Marmont. 
43 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

enthusiasm,  Josephine  took  up  her  residence  in  the 
Serbelloni  palace,  where  the  officers  of  highest  rank  in 
the  French  army  and  the  elite  of  the  Milanese  aristo- 
cracy came  to  pay  her  their  homage.  Unfortunately 
for  the  amorous  commander-in-chief,  the  necessity  of 
shewing  a  bold  front  to  the  enemy  rendered  his  speedy 
return  to  the  field  of  battle  imperative,  and  obliged 
him  in  a  few  days  to  part  again  from  the  object  of  his 
tenderest  affections.  Bonaparte  marched  to  meet  a 
new  Austrian  army  under  the  command  of  WUrmser, 
intending,  after  beating  the  enemy,  to  seize  the 
important  town  of  Mantua. 

A  few  days  after  her  husband's  departure  Josephine, 
who  remained  at  Milan  in  the  Serbelloni  palace, 
received  a  letter  from  him,  dated  from  Roverbella  on 
6th  July  1796.  He  wrote:  M  have  beaten  the 
enemy.  Kilmaine  will  send  you  a  copy  of  the  des- 
patches. I  am  half  dead  with  fatigue.  I  entreat  you 
to  start  at  once  for  Verona  ;  I  need  you,  for  I  think  I 
am  going  to  be  very  ill.  I  send  you  a  thousand  kisses. 
I  am  in  bed.' 

This  indisposition  of  the  young  and  illustrious 
general  was  not  destined  to  be  of  a  serious  nature  nor 
of  long  duration,  so  that  he  even  himself  suggested 
that  Josephine  should  postpone  her  intended  journey 
to  rejoin  him.  From  his  headquarters  at  Marmirolo 
Bonaparte  wrote  further  to  his  wife  on  loth  July  as 
follows  : 

'I  have  passed  the  whole  night  under  arms.  I 
could  have  seized  Mantua  by  a  bold  and  lucky  coup, 
but  the  waters  of  the  lake  suddenly  fell,  so  that  my 

44 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

troops,  which  had  already  embarked,  could  not  reach 
the  town  ...  I  have  received  a  letter  from  Eugene, 
which  I  forward  to  you.  Please  write  on  my  behalf 
to  these  dear  children  and  send  them  a  few  trinkets. 
Tell  them  that  I  love  them  as  much  as  if  they  were 
my  own  children.  The  things  which  are  yours  or 
mine  are  so  blended  in  my  heart  that  I  feel  there  is 
no  difference  between  them.  I  am  very  anxious  to  know 
how  you  are  and  what  you  are  doing.  I  was  in  VirgiFs 
village,  on  the  borders  of  the  lake,  by  moonlight,  and 
Josephine  was  never  absent  from  my  thoughts.' 

On  the  19th  of,  July  General  Bonaparte  announced 
to  Josephine  the  bombardment  of  Mantua  and  excused 
himself  for  having  opened  and  read  two  letters 
addressed  to  her,  which  he  returned.  Napoleon,  who 
long  afterwards,  if  we  are  to  believe  the  Memorial  of 
St-Helena,  accused  his  first  wife  of  being  jealous, 
was  much  more  so  than  she  at  the  commencement  of 
their  union.  But  we  shall  be  able  hereafter  to  note 
the  gradual  modifications  which  took  place  in  their 
sentiments  towards  each  other.  When  Josephine 
became  empress  it  was  she  who  showed  her  jealousy, 
while  Napoleon  on  the  contrary  no  longer  exhibited 
this  quality. 

When  he  arrived  at  Brescia  Bonaparte  made  up  his 
mind  that  his  wife  should  join  him  there  and  decided 
to  ask  her  to  do  so.  On  the  22nd  July  he  addressed 
her  one  of  those  many  tender  epistles,  which  he  was 
so  fond  of  writing.  Delighted  to  have  found  in 
Josephine's  correspondence  some  traces  of  jealous 
coquetry,  he  replied  to  her  on  this  subject  : 

45 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

* .  .  .  I  am  distressed  that  you  should  think,  my 
dearest,  that  any  others  besides  yourself  could  have  a 
place  in  my  heart  ;  it  belongs  to  you  by  right  of  con- 
quest and  that  conquest  will  prove  complete  and 
enduring.' 

Alas,  what  is  there  in  this  world  which  endures, 
especially  in  the  case  of  such  attachments  as  these, 
destined  by  the  force  of  circumstances  to  be  com- 
paratively short  lived.  We  can  only  concur  in  M. 
Aubenas'  comment  on  this  paragraph  in  Napoleon's  letter. 
'What  would  this  fond  lover,  still  inspired  by  the 
generous  ardour  of  his  youthful  enthusiasm,  have 
said,  if  he  had  been  told  that  one  day  he  would  sacrifice 
his  so  dearly  loved  spouse  to  pitiless  reasons  of  state  ! ' 

On  the  28th  July  Bonaparte,  whom  Josephine  had 
come  to  rejoin  at  Brescia,  had  to  leave  his  wife  in 
great  haste  and  to  press  forward  with  the  object  of 
destroying  the  different  divisions  of  Wtlrmser's  army, 
the  latter  having  committed  the  imprudence  of  dis- 
posing them  at  too  great  distances  from  each  other. 
Bonaparte  had  first  advanced  on  Peschiera,  but  had 
soon  to  retreat  towards  Castel-Nuovo.  Uneasy 
as  to  Josephine's  safety,  which  was  endangered  by  the 
imminence  of  a  serious  engagement.  General  Bona- 
parte would  have  wished  to  place  her  out  of  harm's 
way  by  letting  her  retrace  her  steps,  but  all  the  roads 
giving  egress  from  the  town  were  closed,  and,  retreat 
being  thus  cut  off,  he  had  to  give  up  all  attempts  of 
this  nature.  Then,  it  seems,  poor  Josephine  burst  into 
tears,  in  her  agitation  at  these  impending  dangers,  and 
her  husband,    moved   by   her   weeping,    uttered    the 

46 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

prophetic  words,  '  WUrmser  shall  pay  dearly  for  the 
tears  he  is  causing  you  to  shed  ! ' 

Instead  of  betaking  herself  to  the  plains  of  northern 
Italy,  away  from  the  zone  of  danger  where  so  much 
fighting  was  going  on,  Josephine  on  her  husband's 
advice  took  the  road  to  central  Italy. 

We  learn  in  this  connection  from  the  Memorial  that 
the  future  empress  had  to  skirt  Mantua  very  closely 
while  the  siege  was  still  in  progress  ;  she  was  fired 
upon  from  the  town  and  one  of  her  suite  was  even  hit.* 
Finally  she  succeeded  in  crossing  the  P6,  and,  pro- 
ceeding by  Ferrara  and  Bologna,  reached  Lucca,  where 
the  senate  of  the  city  gave  her  a  formal  reception. 

During  this  period  General  Bonaparte  was  achieving 
fresh  victories  and  by  a  series  of  brilliant  engagements 
and  clever  manoeuvres  was  dispersing  or  annihilating  in 
succession  the  different  divisions  of  Wtlrmser's  army. 

Upon  his  return  as  victor  to  Brescia  on  the  1 9th  of 
August,  Bonaparte  hastened  to  write  to  his  wife,  who 
thanks  to  the  triumph  of  the  French  army,  had  managed 
to  get  back  to  Milan.     His  letter  ran  as  follows  : 

'  I  have  just  arrived,  my  beloved,  and  my  first 
thought  is  to  write  to  you.  Your  welfare  and  your 
image  have  been  continually  in  my  mind  during  the 
whole  of  my  journey  and  I  shall  not  be  at  ease  till  I 
have  received  letters  from  you.  I  am  impatiently 
awaiting  news.  You  cannot  conceive  how  very  anxious 
I  am.  I  left  you  sad,  vexed  and  half-ill.  If  the 
deepest  and  tenderest  love  could  make  you  happy,  you 
ought  to  be  so.  .  .  I  am  overwhelmed  with  business. 
*  Memorial  de  Sainte  Hiiene. 
47 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Adieu,  my  sweet  Josephine  ;  take  good  care  of  your- 
self, love  me  and  think  often,  often,  about  me.' 

Leaving  sufficient  troops  and  guns  before  Mantua 
to  carry  on  the  siege,  Bonaparte  hastened  to  rejoin  his 
wife  at  Milan  and  stayed  for  about  a  fortnight  in  her 
company.  A  sort  of  court  was  soon  formed  round 
Josephine  and  her  husband  in  the  beautiful  Serbelloni 
Palace,  which  was  placed  by  its  owner  at  the  disposal 
of  the  conqueror  of  the  Austrians.  It  was  here  that 
Josephine  formed  a  friendship  for  Louis  Bonaparte, 
her  husband's  young  brother,  who  on  his  part  always 
showed  her  more  goodwill  than  did  the  other  members 
of  Napoleon's  family. 

As  conqueror  of  Italy,  General  Bonaparte  now 
displayed  an  extraordinary  energy  and  talents  of  the 
highest  order.  The  Directoire,  suspicious  and  jealous 
as  they  were,  recognised  in  him  an  unrivalled  military 
leader  and  an  organiser  and  administrator  second  to 
none.  It  required  genius  for  such  a  young  man  to 
succeed  in  enforcing  his  counsels  and  his  will  on  such 
a  host  of  generals  all  jealous  of  his  renown,  and  in 
commanding  from  strangers  a  proper  respect  for  his 
authority  and  his  person.  As  her  husband's  consort, 
Josephine  from  this  moment  played  to  perfection 
the  special  r61e  which  was  encumbent  on  her.  Her 
charm,  her  amiability  and  her  native  shrewdness, 
combined  with  the  magnetism  of  her  supreme  savoir- 
vivrcy  obtained  the  most  flattering  demonstrations  of 
deference  and  syhipathy  for  her  from  Italians  of  all 
ranks.  That  this  was  the  case  is  shown  also  by 
the   following  note  written  by  Josephine  to  our  old 

48 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

acquaintance,  Mme.  de  Renaudin,  her  aunt,  who  had 
at  last  become  Marquise  de  Beauharnais  : 

'  M.  Serbelloni  will  tell  you,  my  dear  aunt,  how 
I  have  been  received  in  Italy,  feted  everywhere  1  went ; 
all  the  Italian  princes  are  giving  entertainments  in  my 
honour,  even  the  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany,  the 
emperor^s  brother.  Well,  I  really  prefer  to  be  a 
nobody  in  France.  I  do  not  care  for  the  honours  of 
this  country.  ...  If  happiness  be  the  source  of 
health,  I  ought  to  be  healthy.  I  have  the  most 
considerate  husband  in  the  world.  I  have  no  time  to 
feel  the  want  of  anything.  My  wishes  are  his.  He 
worships  me  all  day  as  if  I  were  a  divinity  ;  no  one 
could  be  a  better  husband.  .  .  .' 

Such  were  already  Josephine's  feelings  towards  her 
second  husband.  The  genuine  passion  which  he  felt 
for  her,  the  assiduity  with  which  he  cared  for  her 
welfare,  formed  a  somewhat  remarkable  contrast  with 
the  characteristics  of  her  first  husband  Alexander  de 
Beauharnais,  at  the  commencement  of  their  wedded 
life.  In  the  matter  of  love,  however,  the  balance  is 
never  even  ;  there  is  always  one  who  loves  more 
than  the  other.  The  one  who  loved  most  at  this 
period  was  Napoleon  ;  later  on  it  was  Josephine,  who 
suffered  doubly  when  she  saw  herself  abandoned. 

It  is  not  within  the  scope  of  this  work  to  retrace  the 
history  of  the  marvellous  campaign  of  1796  in  Italy, 
nor  to  enumerate  the  brilliant  victories  which 
Napoleon  gained  there.  We  shall  confine  ourselves 
to  recalling  the  fact  that  Field-Marshal  Alvinzi  opposed 
him  with  no  better  success  than  WUrmser,  and  that  the 
D  49 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

final  rout  of  the  Austrian  armies  was  completed  by  the 
victories  of  Areola  and  Rivoli,  followed  by  the  capture 
of  Mantua.  The  preliminaries  of  peace  were  signed 
at  Leoben  on  the  i8th  of  April  1797,  and  were  after- 
wards confirmed  by  the  treaty  of  Campo  Formio. 
'At  this  happy  period/  writes  Marmont,  'Napoleon 
had  a  charm  of  manner  which  none  could  fail  to 
recognise  ;  his  feelings  were  very  quickly  stirred  by 
true  sentiment,  he  possessed  a  kindly  and  grateful 
disposition  and,  one  might  even  say,  a  warm  and 
sensitive  heart/ 

During  the  three  months  which  preceded  the  con- 
clusion of  peace  Josephine  had  held  a  sort  of  court  at 
Mombello.  Those  of  her  contemporaries  who  formed 
her  entourage  pay  a  unanimous  tribute  to  the  sovereign 
charm  which  she  exercised  at  this  period  over  every 
one,  and  especially  over  the  foreign  notabilities  who 
were  empowered  to  negotiate  the  terms  of  the 
final  agreement  with  General  Bonaparte.*  Mme. 
Bonaparte  before  her  return  to  France  visited  the 
principal  towns  of  Italy.  She  was  feted  everywhere 
during  her  peregrinations,  and  was  the  recipient  of 
lavish  attentions  and  homage.  Venice,  Genoa,  and 
even  Rome  at  this  time  received  the  future  Empress, 
the  future  Queen  of  Italy,  within  their  walls. 

*  *  All  that  savours  of  intellect,  ambition,  intrigue,  enthusiasm  in 
Italy  here  crowds  together  and  mixes  with  the  French  civil  and 
military  chiefs.  The  diplomatists  of  the  Republic  come  here 
to  receive  their  instructions  and  to  seek  favour.  Everything  in  this 
palace  of  fortune  speaks  of  the  new  day  that  is  dawning,  and  of  the 
future.'     V Europe  et  la  Revolution,  by  Albert  Sorel,  Vol.  v,  p.  176. 


50 


CHAPTER   V 

On  their  return  to  Paris  General  Bonaparte  and  his 
wife  received  an  enthusiastic  welcome  from  all  classes 
of  the  population.  The  municipal  council  of  Paris,  in 
recognition  of  the  popularity  enjoyed  by  the  brilliant 
hero  of  the  Italian  campaign,  changed  the  name  of  the 
Rue  Chantereine  where  Josephine  lived  into  that  of 
Rue  de  la  Victoire.  In  spite  of  the  retired  life  which 
General  Bonaparte  led  with  the  object  of  not  arousing 
the  jealousy  of  the  Directoire,  a  long  series  of  festivities 
was  nevertheless  given  in  his  honour.  Neither  the 
members  of  this  ephemeral  government  themselves  nor 
the  representatives  of  the  legislature  dared  to  abstain 
from  offering  him  a  succession  of  fttes  and  banquets. 
To  crown  all  the  Institut  de  France  opened  its  doors  to 
him,  a  mark  of  respect  which  flattered  the  young 
generaFs  vanity  more  than  any  other  honour  could 
have  done. 

Talleyrand,  always  an  adroit  worshipper  of  the 
rising  sun,  gave  a  fete  at  the  Hotel  GaliiFet,  the 
magnificence  of  which  has  become  a  matter  of  history. 
The  former  bishop  of  Autun  had  become  minister  of 
foreign  affairs.    Already  divining  their  impending  great- 

51 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

nesSj  this  accomplished  courtier  lavished  on  Napoleon 
and  Josephine  a  profusion  of  flowers,  and  paid  them 
an  assiduous  court  seasoned  with  the  most  delicate 
flattery,  under  the  spell  of  which  Napoleon  remained 
to  a  certain  extent  during  the  whole  course  of  his 
extraordinary  career.  Josephine  on  the  contrary 
conceived  an  instinctive  dislike  for  Talleyrand  from 
the  first  and  was  never  deceived  by  the  interested 
adulation  of  this  political  chameleon. 

One  of  the  guests  at  the  fete  given  by  Talleyrand, 
Stanislas  de  Girardin,  has  recorded  in  his  Souvenirs  a 
remark  he  made  on  this  occasion  with  reference  to 
Josephine,  which,  had  it  been  made  in  her  hearing, 
would  probably  have  affbrded  her  pleasure  not  un- 
mingled  with  vexation.  The  sight  of  Napoleon's 
wife  suggested  to  M.  Girardin  the  following 
reflection  : 

'  Madame  Bonaparte  is  no  longer  pretty  ;  she  is 
nearly  forty  years  of  age  and  looks  it.  She  has  still  a 
graceful  figure  and  a  kind  heart  which  will  never  grow 
old.'  And  yet  some  women  are  more  beautiful  in 
their  maturity  than  in  their  youth ;  was  M.  de 
Girardin's  admiration  reserved,  perhaps,  for  young 
women  only  ?  In  any  case  his  testimony,  like  that  of 
so  many  others,  is  entirely  favourable  to  Josephine's 
kindliness  of  heart. 

It  was  in  the  course  of  this  same  evening  that  the 
conversation,  recorded  by  Arnault,  took  place  between 
Bonaparte  and  Mme.  de  StaSl,  who  was  amazed  to 
hear  her  interlocutor  affirm  that  a  woman's  merit  was 
to  be  gauged  by  the  number  of  her  children.     Necker's 

52 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

illustrious  daughter  could  not  understand  that  such  a 
sally  was  only  made  with  intent  to  discourage  any 
advances  on  her  part.  Mme.  de  Stael  was  not  the 
type  of  woman  who  could  be  an  ideal  to  the  man  who 
prized  above  all  virtues  in  the  opposite  sex  those  of 
grace,  charm,  sweetness  and  modesty. 

Josephine  was  always  inordinately  fond  of  dress  and 
luxury.  She  had  no  head  for  figures  and  her  well- 
known  extravagance,  for  which  she  has  rightly  been 
blamed,  manifested  itself  even  in  the  earlier  stages  of 
her  career.  From  Milan  she  had  already,  it  seems, 
sent  orders  to  Paris  to  have  the  house  in  the  Rue 
Chantereine,  or  rather  in  the  Rue  de  la  Victoire,  which 
Talma  had  sold  to  her,  furnished  with  the  very  best 
of  everything. 

Soon  there  assembled  in  this  charming  residence, 
which  has  now  vanished,  a  sort  of  literary  coterie,  of 
which  the  principal  hahituh  were,  according  to  M. 
Arnault,  Bernardin  de  Saint  Pierre,  the  famous  author 
of  Paul  et  Virginie^  the  poet  Ducis,  Legouv6  and 
Lemercier,  the  musician  Mehul,  the  great  painter 
David,  Talma,  Bouilly,  Collin  d'Harleville,  Andrieux, 
Baour-Lormian  and  Parceval-Grandmaison.*  Joseph 
Chenier,  Picard,  Alexandre  Duval  and  even  several 
men  of  science  also  sought  Mme.  Bonaparte's 
society. 

Josephine  often  entertained  all  these  celebrities  at 

dinner,  together  with  those  generals  who  were  most 

intimate   with   her   husband,  and  his   aide-de-camps. 

General  Bonaparte's  popularity  was  so  great  that  he 

*  Aubenas^  Histoire  de  rimperatrice  Josiphine. 

53 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

could  not  show  himself  in  public  without  at  once 
becoming  the  object  of  the  people's  acclamations. 
These  six  months  spent  by  Josephine  in  the  Rue  de  la 
Victoire  between  her  return  from  Italy  and  the 
Egyptian  expedition  may  be  looked  upon  as  one  of 
the  happiest  periods  of  her  life. 

Bouilly,  one  of  the  guests  who  frequented  the 
Rue  de  la  Victoire,  remarks,  in  his  Souvenirs  et 
Recapitulations^  in  speaking  of  Josephine  :  *  There  she 
was  surrounded  by  all  those  who  were  seeking  to 
gain  power,  although  they  already  belonged  to  the 
highest  ranks  of  society.  Her  natural  grace  and 
never  failing  kindness  of  heart  imparted  an  additional 
lustre  to  the  lofty  position  she  was  attaining  in  the 
world  and  seemed  daily  to  reach  a  still  higher  degree  of 
perfection.  I  had  the  honour  of  being  admitted  to 
the  gatherings  which  took  place  every  Thursday  at 
her  house.  The  tone  of  refinement  and  exquisite 
politeness,  which  I  had  met  with  in  the  salons  of 
1788,  no  longer  prevailed,  but  one  still  found  in 
Josephine's  gatherings  some  precious  remains  of  those 
perfect  models  of  courtesy  and  good  taste.'  *  As 
regards  feminine  society-,  one  met  in  Mme. 
Bonaparte's  drawing-room  Mmes.  d'Houdetot, 
CafFarelli,  Damas,  Andreossy,  and  those  two  beautiful 
women,  Mme.  Tallien  and  Mme  Regnault  de 
Saint-Jean-d'Angely ;  while,  as  was  only  natural, 
Mme.  Fanny  de  Beauharnais,  the  aunt  of 
Josephine's  first  husband,  was  one  of  her  most 
frequent  visitors. 

*  Bouilly,  Souvenirs  et  Ricapitulations. 
54 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

Meantime  General  Bonaparte's  fiery  and  adventurous 
spirit  was  impatient  at  the  prolonged  inaction,  and 
chafed  at  a  period  of  idleness  which  had  already 
lasted  three  months.  He  now  conceived  the  plan 
of  an  expedition  to  Egypt.  The  Directoire  gave  their 
cordial  approval  ;  they  gladly  seized  the  opportunity  of 
sending  out  of  the  country  for  as  long  a  time  as  possible 
a  military  chief  whose  brilliant  reputation  disturbed 
a  government  resting  on  such  insecure  foundations. 
This  expedition  was  to  be  at  once  a  military  and  a 
scientific  one.  General  Bonaparte  himself  carried  on 
the  recruiting  amongst  the  generals,  officers,  scientific 
and  literary  men  and  artists  of  his  acquaintance,  and  all 
were  eager  to  be  chosen.  '  The  government,'  writes 
M.  Aubenas,  'seemed  to  have  been  transferred  to 
the  Rue  de  la  Victoire.  The  preparations  for  the 
campaign  were  carried  out  as  though  a  pleasure  trip 
were  in  view,  and  towards  the  close,  when  they  took 
place  in  the  general's  own  house,  it  seemed  more  like 
a  family  jaunt  than  anything  else.  His  young  brother 
Louis  wanted  to  go  ;  Eugene  had  obtained  the  same 
favour,  and  Mme.  Bonaparte,  now  inured  to  the 
hardships  of  war,  determined  to  follow  her  husband. 
She  was  so  insistent  that  the  general  had  to  appear 
to  give  his  consent.'  * 

It  was  just  at  this  time,  in  April  1798,  that 
Josephine  gave  her  niece.  Mile.  Emilie  de 
Beauharnais,  in  marriage  to  Lavalette,  her  husband's 
aide-de-camp.  Less  than  twenty  years  later  this 
courageous  woman  succeeded  by  her  devotion  in 
*  Aubenas,  Vol.  ii. 

55 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

saving  her    husband's  life,  when  he  was  condemned 
to  death  by  the  tribunals  of  the  Restoration. 

The  departure  of  General  Bonaparte  and  his 
suite  for  Toulon  took  place  on  3rd  May  1798, 
and  Marmont,  who  accompanied  him,  relates  how, 
at  Roquevaire,  in  the  middle  of  the  night.  Napoleon 
and  his  wife  only  escaped  by  a  lucky  chance  from 
being  hurled  with  their  carriage  down  a  precipice. 
After  relating  this  incident  in  his  Memoires^  the 
Duke  of  Ragusa  adds  : — '  Is  not  the  hand  of 
Providence  manifest  here  ^ '  * 

On  his  arrival  at  Toulon  Bonaparte  told  his  wife 
that  he  could  not  take  her  with  him  to  Egypt.  Had 
he  come  to  a  different  decision  Napoleon  would  have 
saved  himself  much  jealous  anxiety  and  many  rankling 
suspicions.  To  lessen  the  vexation  Josephine  felt 
at  the  separation  from  her  husband,  he  was  obliged 
to  promise  her  that  she  might  come  and  rejoin  him 
in  Egypt  in  a  few  months.  He  also  advised  her 
to  try  the  waters  at  Plombi^res,  in  the  hope  that 
they  might  prove  efficacious  in  overcoming  her 
sterility.  In  obedience  to  this  suggestion  Mme. 
Bonaparte  left  almost  immediately  for  Plombieres, 
accompanied  by  Mmes.  de  Crigny,  Cambis  and  Denon. 
It  was  here  that  a  serious  accident,  the  fall  of 
a  balcony  on  which  Josephine  and  her  companions 
were  leaning,  nearly  proved  fatal  to  the  future 
empress.  One  of  the  ladies  of  her  suite  had  her 
leg  broken,  and  Josephine  was  so  bruised  by  the 
fall  that  for  several  days  it  was  thought  she  would 
*  Mimoires  du  Marechal  Marmont. 
56 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

not  recover.  Her  daughter  Hortense  was  summoned 
in  haste  to  her  mother's  bed-side  and,  thanks  to 
her  devotion  and  clever  nursing,  Josephine  soon 
recovered  her  health. 

In  the  month  of  April  1799,  ^^  accordance  with  the 
wishes  of  her  husband,  who  had  begged  her  to  purchase 
a  country  seat,  Josephine  decided  to  buy  the  small 
chateau  of  Malmaison.*  She  hastened  to  take 
possession  of  it  and  commenced  a  series  of  improve- 
ments which  rendered  this  charming  residence  more 
lovely  every  day.  She  had  only  been  able  to  receive 
news  at  long  intervals  from  her  son  Eugene  and  from 
General  Bonaparte  on  account  of  the  English  cruisers, 
which  chased  the  French  vessels  and  intercepted  the 
communications  between  France  and  Egypt.  She  was 
also  a  prey  to  continual  alarms.  Always  warm- 
hearted and  generous,  she  was  ever  trying  to  do  acts 
of  kindness  to  her  neighbours,  and  the  first  period  of 
her  residence  at  Malmaison  furnishes  a  fresh  proof 
of  this.  The  revolution  which  had  made  so  much 
havoc  and  destroyed  or  scattered  so  many  family 
relationships,  continued,  though  its  leaders  had 
gradually  become  wiser,  its  persecution  of  the  clergy. 
It  had  secularized  the  nuns,  closed  the  convents,  dis- 
persed the  sisterhoods,  sold  their  property,  and 
liquidated  their  life-pensions.  By  a  decree  of 
Pluvi6se  (1799)  the  Government  had  even  forbidden 
the  former  sisterhoods  to  meet  for  purposes  of  instruc- 
tion.    One  of  these  sisters,  the  citoyenne  Damour,  now 

*  La    Malmaison    was    bought  from     a   Mons.    Lecoulteux   de 
Canteleu  for  160,000  francs. 

57 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

thought  of  enlisting  on  their  behalf  the  powerful 
protection  and  credit  of  Mme.  Bonaparte,  who  did 
not  hesitate  to  constitute  herself  the  protectress  and 
safeguard  of  these  former  Sisters  of  the  Cross.  A 
letter,  signed  by  Josephine  and  preserved  in  the 
archives  of  the  Versailles  Prefecture^  testifies  to  this. 
This  letter  is  dated  23rd  June  1799,  and  is  addressed 
to  the  municipality  of  Marly.     It  runs  as  follows  : 

*La  Malmaison,  near  Rueil, 
5  Messidor,  year  vii  of  the  Republic. 
The  wife  of  General  Bonaparte  to  the  administrators  of 
the  Canton  of  Marly  : 

I  invoke  with  confidence,  citizens  and  administrators, 
your  generosity  in  favour  of  the  citoyennes  Damour, 
who  will  endeavour  to  show  themselves  worthy  of  it 
by  teaching  patriotism  and  themselves  giving  an 
example  of  it,  at  the  same  time  submitting  themselves 
unreservedly  to  the  laws  of  the  Republic. 

With  assurances  of  my  sincere  regard,  I  remain, 
{signed)  Lapagerie-Bonaparte.' 

In  the  course  of  the  period  which  elapsed  during 
the  memorable  Egyptian  campaign,  Josephine  may 
perhaps  have  given  some  excuse  for  ill-natured  criticism 
by  too  free  a  manner  or  by  some  frivolities  of  conduct. 
It  is  difficult,  at  this  distance  of  time,  to  pronounce 
judgment  on  the  more  or  less  serious  indiscretions 
with  which  Napoleon's  wife  has  been  charged.  In 
such  matters  presumptive  evidence  only  is  available 
and  absolute  proofs  are  always  wanting.  It  is  not  in 
our  province  to   pass  an  opinion  in  this  matter,  either 

58 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

to  plead  the  immaculate  innocence  of  General  Bona- 
parte's wife,  or,  still  less,  to  condemn  her  ;  either  view 
of  the  case  could  at  all  events  only  be  based  on  pure 
conjecture.  In  any  case  some  ill-natured  reports, 
emanating  from  certain  members  of  the  Bonaparte 
family  or  from  former  enemies  of  the  Beauharnais 
party,  were  transmitted  to  Egypt  to  the  person  prin- 
cipally concerned.  These  defamatory  statements, 
whether  with  or  without  foundation,  had  not  failed,  as 
may  easily  be  imagined,  greatly  to  perturb  Bonaparte's 
mind.  From  a  passage  in  Prince  Eugene's  memoirs, 
which  it  may  be  interesting  to  quote,  the  reader  will 
understand  to  what  an  extent  Napoleon's  thoughts 
were  engrossed  by  this  matter:  'At  this  period,' 
writes  Josephine's  son,  '  the  Commander-in-chief  was 
harassed  by  matters  which  caused  him  great  annoyance, 
one  source  of  vexation  being  the  discontent  which  was 
rife  in  one  section  of  the  army  and  especially  among 
certain  generals,  and  another  the  news  he  received  from 
France,  where  efforts  were  being  made  to  mar  his 
domestic  happiness.  Although  I  was  still  very  young, 
he  trusted  me  enough  to  confide  his  grief  to  me.  It 
was  generally  in  the  evening  that  he  took  me  into  his 
confidence  and  spoke  of  his  troubles,  pacing  all  the 
time  up  and  down  his  tent.  I  was  the  only  one  to 
whom  he  could  unbosom  himself  with  freedom.  I 
endeavoured  to  soften  his  resentment  and  consoled  him 
to  the  best  of  my  ability  and  as  far  as  my  age  and  the 
respect  I  entertained  for  him  allowed  of  my  doing  so.' 
When  allusion  is  made  to  Josephine's  infidelities, 
whether  real  or  assumed,  it  is  always  the  common- 

59 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

place,  insignificant  and  somewhat  enigmatic  name  of 
a  M.  Charles  which  is  put  forward,  and  Mme. 
Bonaparte's  detractors  have  been  unable  to  mention 
any  other  name.  This  curious  personality  seems  to 
be  a  legendary  rather  than  a  real  character  ;  he  is  often 
spoken  of,  but  is  only  seen  so  to  speak  through  a  misty 
haze.  What  the  pamphleteers  have  been  able  to 
discover,  and  it  is  they  who  are  chiefly  concerned  in 
throwing  light  on  his  personality,  has  not  even  been 
sufficient  to  satisfy  the  curiosity  of  the  readers  to 
whom  his  name  has  been  thrown  as  a  sop.  This 
obscure  and  imperfectly  known  individual  traverses 
the  stage,  in  the  history  of  Napoleon's  first  wife,  like 
a  fantastic  apparition  of  vague  and  undefined  shape  ; 
a  spectre  which  Josephine's  enemies  continually 
exhibited  to  Napoleon's  gaze,  just  as  the  fomenters  of 
anarchy,  to  excite  the  fury  of  the  masses,  take  pains  to 
display  the  spectre  of  clericalism,  a  shadowy  phantom 
often  brought  forward,  though  it  would  be  difficult 
exactly  to  explain  its  nature.  M.  Charles'  personality 
is  an  unknown  quantity,  and  the  veil  which  envelops 
it  is  only  partially  removed  by  a  letter  addressed  by 
Eugene  de  Beauharnais  to  his  mother.  One  can  well 
understand  that  this  dutiful  and  afl!ectionate  son  refused 
to  give  credit  to  the  ill-natured  tales  which  had 
been  industriously  disseminated  till  they  reached  his 
father-in-law's  ears  in  Egypt,  and  aroused,  as  it  was 
intended  they  should,  his  anger  and  jealousy. 
Bonaparte's  anxiety  and  violent  irritation  on  hearing 
these  malicious  reports  seem  also  to  shew,  contrary  to 
certain  suggestions,  as  improbable  as  they  are  gratuitous, 

60 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

that  he  was  far  from  being  a  complaisant  husband, 
ready  to  shut  his  eyes  to  the  supposed  misconduct  of 
his  wife.  All  that  history  tells  us  of  Napoleon's 
character  and  temperament,  of  his  strong  sense  of 
honour  and  his  indomitable  pride,  is  in  direct  contra- 
diction with  the  apathy  and  indulgent  indifference 
attributed  to  him  in  such  matters,  an  indifference  as 
incomprehensible  as  it  would  be  extraordinary  on  the 
part  of  a  man  of  such  an  energetic  and  peremptory 
nature. 

Napoleon's  observant  eye  watched  intently  the 
conduct  and  bearing  of  all  who  were  not  indifferent 
to  him,  while  an  active  and  often  too  zealous  police 
kept  him  continually  informed  even  of  the  most 
unimportant  details.  His  jealousy,  from  the  beginning 
of  his  union  with  Josephine,  was  always  on  the  alert, 
and  one  asks  how  he  could  possibly  have  been  without 
suspicion  of  what,  as  it  was  averred,  every  one  around 
him  knew  for  a  fact.  Why  and  with  what  object  should 
he  have  defended  a  wife  notorious  for  her  infidelity, 
older  than  himself  and  who  was  making  him  an  object 
of  ridicule,  against  the  envious  animosity  of  the 
whole  Bonaparte  family  ?  Why  should  he  have 
placed  her  on  the  throne  and  crowned  her  with  his 
own  hands,  when  it  would  have  been  so  easy  for  him 
to  obtain  a  separation  ?  In  spite  of  the  most  in- 
geniously framed  arguments  such  an  unlikely 
supposition  is  indeed  quite  inadmissible  ;  various 
estimates  may  be  formed  of  Napoleon's  character, 
but  it  is  impossible  to  think  of  him  in  the  r61e 
of  Georges  Dandin  1 

6i 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Bonaparte,  on  his  return  from  Egypt,  only  entered 
Paris  on  the  i6th  of  October  1799.  The  records  of 
the  period  speak  of  a  very  painful  conjugal  scene 
which  took  place  on  his  arrival  at  the  mansion  in  the 
Rue  de  la  Victoire.  M.  de  Saint-Amand,  in  one 
of  the  books  which  he  has  devoted  to  the  Empress 
Josephine,  describes  the  dramatic  incident  which  is 
said  to  have  followed  the  reunion  of  husband  and 
wife.  Bonaparte  had  shut  himself  up  in  his  room,  and 
Josephine,  who  had  been  absent  at  the  moment  of  her 
husband's  arrival,  entreated  him  in  vain  to  open 
the  door.  Part  of  the  night  was  spent  in  this  dis- 
consolate manner,  and  she  continued  knocking 
incessantly  at  the  door  which  was  kept  obstinately 
shut.  Her  husband  remaining  deaf  to  her 
lamentations,  Josephine  bethought  herself  of  calling 
her  children,  who  joined  their  prayers  to  hers.  After 
a  long  and  painful  suspense  and  some  dramatic 
parleying,  the  doer  was  at  last  opened  and  General 
Bonaparte,  forgiving  poor  Josephine  for  his  fancied  or 
real  wrongs,  took  her  once  more  to  his  arms. 

On  the  1 8th  Brumaire,  three  weeks  after  the  arrival 
of  the  victor  of  the  battle  of  the  Pyramids,  Napoleon 
became  ruler  of  France  and  first  magistrate  of  the 
Republic. 

One  can  easily  understand  that  in  the  course  of  her 
chequered  career  Josephine  had  many  a  hard  struggle  ; 
first  against  the  Bonaparte  family,  jealous  of  her 
influence,  then  against  a  host  of  other  adversaries,  who, 
taking  her  sterility  as  their  theme,  harped  upon  the 
danger  in  which  the  State  would  be  placed,  if  Napoleon 

62 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

had  no  children.  Many  women,  younger  and  more 
beautiful  than  herself,  excited  more  than  once  her 
apprehensions  and  her  jealousy.  M.  de  Saint- 
Amand  is  therefore  right  in  saying  that,  everything 
being  considered,  Josephine  must  have  been  possessed 
of  great  shrewdness,  prudence,  and  tact  to  have 
succeeded  for  so  long  in  resisting  the  various  schemes 
set  on  foot  to  effect  her  ruin.  '  She  was  destined,' 
says  the  same  writer,  '  to  win  the  game  in  1 804,  when 
she  was  crowned  as  empress  by  her  husband,  and  to 
lose  it  in  1809,  though  she  retained  her  title  and 
rank  even  after  her  divorce.*  It  may  further  be 
affirmed  that  rarely  has  a  fallen  sovereign  been  treated 
with  such  great  consideration  and  such  profound 
respect,  as  fell  to  the  share  of  the  Empress  Josephine. 


63 


CHAPTER  VI 

Josephine,  as  we  have  seen,  had  been  on  the  point  of 
being  abandoned  by  her  second  husband  as  well  as  by 
her  first.  In  these  critical  circumstances  however  she 
had  shewn  herself  so  gentle,  so  clever  and  so  fascinating 
that  she  triumphantly  avoided  all  the  pitfalls  that  had 
been  laid  in  her  path.  She  professed  for  Napoleon  on 
every  occasion  the  most  absolute  submissiveness, 
obedience,  and  devotion,  while  he  on  his  part  never 
ceased  to  love  her  tenderly,  in  spite  of  certain  lapses 
from  conjugal  fidelity.  Napoleon's  first  wife  without 
being  actually  beautiful,  had  an  indescribable  charm. 
She  possessed  that  grace,  more  beautiful  than  beauty 
itself,  of  which  all  her  contemporaries  have  felt  the 
ascendency.  Of  even  temperament,  gifted  with  perfect 
tact,  always  kindly  and  extremely  warm-hearted, 
Josephine  must  even  have  disarmed  those  whose 
interest  it  was  to  do  her  a  bad  turn.  After  the  scene 
we  have  just  related.  Napoleon  had  taken  Josephine 
back  into  his  affections  and  his  confidence.  Hence- 
forward their  union  was  re-established  on  a  firm  and 
durable  basis  until  the  day  of  their  divorce,  a  divorce 
necessitated  solely  by  political  considerations. 

64 


JOSEPHINE  AT  MALMAISON. 
1798. 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Immediately  after  the  coup  d'etat  of  the  i8th 
Brumaire  General  Bonaparte  assumed  the  title  of  First 
Consul  of  the  Republic,  and  took  up  his  residence  with 
his  consort  at  the  Petit  Luxemburg.  *  There/  writes 
Mons.  Aubenas,  '  commenced  for  Josephine  that  public 
homage  which  she  enjoyed  uninterruptedly  till  the 
day  of  her  death.'  At  the  Luxemburg  the  appellation 
Madame^  when  addressing  ladies,  which  had  only 
recently  been  abolished,  was  again  used  ;  shortly 
afterwards,  at  the  Tuileries,  Josephine  was  announced 
as  :  Madame^  wife  of  the  First  Consul ! 

The  constitution  of  year  VIII  had  been  promulgated. 
The  First  Consul  received  a  salary  of  500,000  francs  ; 
the  second  and  third  Consuls,  Cambaceres  and  Lebrun, 
150,000  francs  each.  A  short  time  afterwards,  in 
February  1800,  the  first  Consul  proceeded  in  great 
state  to  the  palace  of  the  Tuileries,  where  he  was 
henceforth  to  take  up  his  residence.  On  his  arrival 
he  held  a  review  of  the  army  of  Paris,  which 
Josephine  witnessed  from  a  window  of  the  palace  ; 
on  this  occasion,  writes  Madame  d'Abrantes  in  her 
MemoireSy  she  was  looking  extremely  beautiful. 
Napoleon  established  himself  in  the  apartments 
formerly  occupied  by  the  royal  family ;  Josephine 
and  her  children  occupied  the  rooms  below,  on  the 
ground  floor  of  the  palace.  The  Duchess  d'Abrantes 
has  described  as  follows  the  furniture  of  the  family 
drawing-room  occupied  by  the  First  Consul  and 
Josephine.  '  The  great  reception-room  was  hung  with 
yellow  quinze-seize  tapestry.  The  furniture  was  of 
mahogany  covered  with  Indian  silk,  with  a  silk  fringe. 

E  65 


THE    EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

There  was  no  gilding  anywhere  :  the  other  apart- 
ments were  equally  devoid  of  richness  in  their 
decoration ;  everything  was  fresh  and  tasteful  but 
nothing  more.  Indeed  Madame  Bonaparte's  apart- 
ments were  only  intended  for  private  gatherings  and 
for  her  morning  visitors  ;  the  great  receptions  took 
place  upstairs/  * 

Accustomed  for  long,  in  fact  since  her  childhood,  to 
the  best  society,  Josephine  was  an  excellent  hostess 
and  understood  perfectly  the  art  of  adapting  her 
conversation  to  suit  the  varied  interests  or  views  of 
her  guests,  so  as  neither  to  offend  nor  to  discourage 
any  one.  From  this  period  onward  a  certain  number 
of  notabilities  of  the  old  regime,  amongst  others  the 
Prince  of  Poix,  visited  the  wife  of  the  First  Consul. 
Josephine,  never  of  a  thankless  disposition,  had 
retained  a  deep  feeling  of  gratitude  towards  Madame 
Tallien,  who  had  had  a  great  share  in  saving  her  life, 
as  well  as  that  of  many  others  of  her  companions  in 
captivity,  by  helping  to  bring  about  Robespierre's  fall. 
Unfortunately  the  First  Consul  was  so  deeply  pre- 
judiced against  ^  Notre-Dame-de-Thermidor^  that  he 
would  never  permit  his  wife  to  receive  her  at  the 
Tuileries.  Josephine  was  obliged  to  see  Madame 
Tallien  only  in  secret. 

As  the  First  Consul  insensibly  acquired  the  airs  of 
a  sovereign,  he  lost  no  opportunity  of  gradually 
surrounding  himself  with  an  ever  increasing  pomp 
and  ceremony.  All  autocratic  rulers  find  it  a  necessity 
to  maintain  their  dignity  by  a  kind  of  court.  The 
*  Memoires  de  la  Duchesse  eCAbrantis, 
66 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

old  royalist  society,  partly  dispersed  by  the  storms 
of  the  revolution,  had  not  yet  rallied  or  had  adopted 
a  sullen  attitude  towards  the  new  regime.  At  the 
receptions  of  the  First  Consul  and  Madame  Bonaparte 
it  was,  at  first  at  any  rate,  the  military  element 
which  naturally  predominated.  There  were  also  a  few 
financiers,  several  literary  men,  and  some  insignificant 
remnants  of  the  old  regime,  besides  of  course  the 
foreign  corps  .diplomatique^  which  was  necessarily  much 
reduced  in  numbers,  seeing  that  the  French  Republic 
was  still  on  unfriendly  terms  with  half  the  sovereigns 
of  Europe.  The  corps  diplomatique  was  composed 
at  this  period  of  the  envoys  of  Prussia,  Spain,  Sweden, 
Denmark,  Baden  and  Hesse-Cassel,  and  lastly  of 
those  representing  the  daughter — or  sister — republics 
of  the  one  just  established  in  France,  namely,  the 
small  Cisalpine,  Batavian,  Helvetic  and  Ligurian 
republics. 

With  the  assistance  of  the  valuable  advice  of 
Mme.  de  Montesson,  the  morganatic  wife  of  the 
Duke  of  Orleans,  grandfather  of  King  Louis- 
Philippe,  Napoleon  and  his  wife,  as  soon  as  they 
had  taken  possession  of  the  Tuileries,  devoted 
themselves  to  the  task  of  forming  the  new  court. 
Mme.  de  Montesson,  a  woman  of  great  ability 
and  refinement,  possessed  large  experience  in  all 
these  worldly  matters,  and  placed  this  experience 
cordially  at  the  disposal  of  the  First  Consul  and 
Madame  Bonaparte.  They  on  their  side  repaid  her 
services  by  always  evincing  for  her  the  greatest  con- 
sideration   and    attention.     In     particular     Napoleon 

67 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

restored  to  Mme.  de  Montesson  a  very  large 
pension  which  she  had  lost  in  the  Revolution.  As 
widow  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans  she  also  owned  a 
very  beautiful  and  luxurious  residence  at  Romainville. 

It  required  much  tact  and  shrewdness  to  turn  to 
favourable  account  such  a  mixture  of  incongruous 
elements,  to  flatter  the  vanity  of  some  without  wound- 
ing the  susceptibility  of  others.  In  carrying  out 
this  work  of  amalgamation,  as  Napoleon  said  himself 
later  on  at  St  Helena,  Josephine's  co-operation  was 
of  the  greatest  service  to  him.  The  Memorial  alludes 
to  this  in  the  following  terms  :  '  The  circumstance 
of  my  marriage  to  Madame  de  Beauharnais,'  said  the 
emperor  to  his  confidant,  'placed  me  in  contact  with 
a  whole  party  which  was  indispensable  to  me  in 
carrying  out  my  system  of  fusion.' 

Josephine  indeed  did  her  utmost  to  further  her 
husband's  aims.  No  one  could  have  played  so  well 
the  r61e  which  was  assigned  to  her,  a  r61e  political 
as  well  as  social,  and  one  suited  to  her  tastes,  her 
abilities,  and  all  her  past  training.  Refined,  graceful, 
and  kindhearted,  she  was  gifted  with  all  the  qualities 
which  many  a  sovereign  might  have  coveted,  and 
it  was  not  long  before  she  saw  her  efforts  crowned 
with  the  most  complete  success.  When  she  became 
empress  she  remained  for  the  people  The  good 
Josephine^  a  name  that  has  been  justly  awarded  her, 
for,  affable  and  generous  to  everyone,  she  possessed 
in  a  superlative  degree  the  passion  for  helping 
others  and  doing  good.  '  If  I  win  battles,'  said 
Napoleon  to  Josephine,  '  you  win  hearts  ! ' 

68 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Even  before  the  year  1802  the  household  of  the 
First  Consul  and  Josephine  had  assumed  the  character 
of  a  petty  court,  which,  although  in  the  meantime 
only  of  modest  dimensions,  contained  as  it  were  the 
germ  of  the  elaborate  and  brilliant  court  maintained 
by  the  emperor  at  a  later  date.  An  eye-witness 
of  the  Consular  period  has  described  it  in  the  following 
terms  :  * 

'  The  First  Consul  no  longer  kept  an  open  table  ; 
he  dined  with  Madame  Bonaparte  and  some  members 
of  his  family.  On  Wednesdays,  which  were  the 
council  days,  he  retained  to  dinner  the  Consuls  and 
the  ministers,  f     He  lunched  alone. 

'There  was  a  governor  of  the  Palace,  the  office 
being  filled  by  General  Duroc.  This  official  had 
under  his  care  the  regulation  of  the  expenses,  the 
police  and  the  supervision  of  the  palace.  He  had 
to  entertain  the  officers  and  ladies-in-waiting  and 
the  aides-de-camp.  The  military  household  was  at  this 
time  composed  of  four  generals  in  command  of  the 
Consular  guard  :  Generals  Lannes,  Bessieres,  Davout 
and  Soult ;  eight  aides-de-camp  :  Colonels  Le  Marois, 
Caffarelli,  Lauriston,  Caulaincourt,  Savary,  Rapp,  and 
Fontanelli,  the  last  mentioned  an  Italian  officer,  and 
Captain  Lebrun,  a  son  of  the  third  Consul.  There 
were    four   prefects    of    the   palace  :    M.    de   Lu^ay, 

*  Meneval,   Memoiresy  vol.  i,   pp.   132   and    133.      (Published    by 
Dentu,  1894.) 

t  The  eight  ministers  in  office  at  the  commencement  of  the 
Consulate  were  :  Talleyrand,  Fouche,  Gaudin,  Berthier,  Decres, 
Chaptel,  Abrial  and  Barbe-Marbois,  and  later  came  Regnier  and 
Portalis. 

69 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Remusat,  Didelot  and  Cramayel  ;  and  four  ladies  : 
Mmes.  de  Lu^ay,  Talhouet,  Remusat  and 
Lauriston.  One  of  the  generals  of  the  guard,  as  well 
as  an  aide-de-camp  and  a  prefect  of  the  palace,  were 
in  attendance  on  the  First  Consul  every  week  by 
turns. 

'  The  prefects  of  the  palace  were  charged  with  the 
internal  arrangements,  the  regulation  of  matters  of 
etiquette,  and  the  superintendence  of  the  theatres. 
The  ladies  were  required  to  accompany  Mme. 
Bonaparte  ;  the  wives  of  the  foreign  ambassadors  and 
others  were  presented  by  them.  One  lady  was  in 
attendance  every  week  on  Mme.  Bonaparte.  At  all 
ceremonies  and  on  all  extraordinary  occasions  all  the 
ladies  and  prefects  of  the  palace  were  present. 

*  The  general  of  the  guard  in  attendance  presided  at 
dinner  with  the  officers  who  were  on  duty  at  the 
palace. 

'  There  were  thus  already  all  the  elements  of  a  Court 
in  the  First  Consul's  household.' 

With  the  exception  of  these  modifications  in  the 
Court  etiquette,  which  were  necessitated  by  the 
increased  importance  and  dignity  awarded  to  his  office. 
Napoleon's  private  life  remained  almost  the  same  as 
before.  Between  ten  and  eleven  o'clock  at  night, 
while  Josephine  was  still  engaged  in  conversation  or 
in  playing  cards,  a  message  was  brought  to  her  that  the 
First  Consul  had  retired  to  rest.  She  then  wished  her 
company  good-night  and  proceeded  to  rejoin  her 
husband.  When  Josephine  found  him  still  awake,  she 
seated  herself  at  the  foot  of  his  bed  and  commenced 

70 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

reading  to  him.     As  she  read  very  well  he  listened 
with  great  pleasure. 

'At  Malmaison/  writes  Napoleon's  confidential 
secretary,  '  the  First  Consul  spent  in  the  park  the 
moments  which  were  not  employed  in  his  study,  and 
there  too  his  time  was  not  wasted. 

'  Josephine  on  her  part  employed  her  leisure  as  she 
thought  proper.  She  received  numerous  visits  during 
the  course  of  the  day  ;  lunch  was  taken  with  a  few 
intimate  friends  or  old  acquaintances,  or  with  those  of 
more  recent  date.  Josephine  possessed  no  accomplish- 
ments, did  not  draw  and  was  not  musical.  There  was 
a  harp  in  her  apartment,  on  which  she  played  to  while 
away  the  time  and  she  always  played  the  same  air.  She 
did  some  tapestry  work,  and  was  therein  assisted  by 
her  ladies-in-waiting  and  her  callers.  In  this  way  she 
had  worked  the  coverings  for  her  drawing-room 
furniture  at  Malmaison.  This  diligence  pleased 
Napoleon.*  * 

But  what  was  less  pleasing  to  the  husband  of  the 
good  Empress  Josephine  was  her  habitual  extravagance. 
For  her  the  words  '  economical '  and  '  economy  '  were 
terms  without  meaning.  According  to  Michaud's 
Biographie  Josephine  had  at  one  time  debts  amounting 
to  1,200,000  francs,  only  the  half  of  which  she  dared 
to  acknowledge  to  Napoleon.  The  same  author 
speaks  of  her  having  bought  thirty-eight  new  hats  in 
one  month  !  This  thoughtless  waste  resulted  in  a  state 
of  permanent  confusion  in  Josephine's  household,  and 
elicited  from  Napoleon,  who  was  a  lover  of  order  and 
*  Meneval,  Memoires,  vol.  i. 
7x 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

economy,  continual  and  far  from  undeserved  expres- 
sions of  his  disapproval.* 

'  Josephine,'  says  Madame  Ducrest  in  her  MSmoires^ 
'  wanted  every  one  to  be  happy  wherever  she  went. 
Every  kind  of  misfortune  or  suffering  appealed  to  her 
sympathy,  to  whatever  party  the  sufferer  belonged.  As 
a  result  of  her  inexhaustible  generosity  combined  with 
her  expensive  tastes,  her  finances  were  always  involved. 
It  was  especially  owing  to  her  good  offices  that  the 
exiles  from  France  had  their  names  struck  off  the  list, 
and  their  property  restored,  and  that  they  received 
pensions  and  assistance.  Josephine  could  never  turn 
a  deaf  ear  to  appeals  for  help.' 

In  describing  the  wife  of  the  First  Consul,  after  their 
occupation  of  the  Tuileries,  M.  Aubenas  writes 
further  :  '  She  succeeded  superlatively  in  pleasing 
because  one  felt  she  loved  to  please,  and  this  was  her 
ambition  not  from  calculating  motives  but  from  her 
natural  disposition.  In  her  relations  with  others  she 
exhibited  more  benevolence  than  she  exacted. 
Ingratitude  did  not  discourage  her.  The  secret 
jealousies,  the  petty  basenesses  exhibited  towards  her  as 
the  result  of  her  increasing  greatness  neither  dis- 
turbed nor  embittered  her.     During  her  whole  life  her 

*  Napoleon  had  never  at  any  time  been  able  to  acquiesce  in 
Josephine's  extravagance  nor  in  the  facility  with  which  she  contracted 
debts.  Josephine  had  for  long  had  Bourrienne  as  an  accomplice  in 
concealing  them  from  him,  but  an  unacknowledged  debt  existed  none 
the  less,  and  in  spite  of  all  attempts  at  reformation  Josephine  remained 
incorrigible.  She  could  resist  no  temptations  to  buy,  whether  it 
were  a  shawl,  a  bit  of  jewellery,  a  picture  or  a  piece  of  plate  that 
took  her  fancy.  This  prodigality  had  no  limits,  in  spite  of  Napoleon's 
reproofs  and  remonstrances.     (Savine.     Les  Tours  de  la  Malmaison.) 

72 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

only  means  of  defence  was  an  ever  growing  sweetness 
and  affability  :  in  a  word  she  was  imperturbably  good 
natured.  This  was  her  weapon  against  her  enemies,  her 
charm  for  her  friends,  her  power  over  her  husband. 
No  other  woman,  moreover,  possessed  to  such  a  degree 
as  she  the  talent  for  entertaining  and  for  saying  to  her 
guests,  without  fatuity,  what  they  were  each  most 
anxious  to  hear.  Quick  to  grasp  the  relative  importance 
of  her  position  with  each  advance  she  made  in  the 
social  scale,  her  demeanour  increased  in  dignity  with 
her  rank  ;  but  underlying  these  subtle  shades  of 
difference  in  her  bearing  was  always  the  same 
foundation  of  gracious  benevolence,  for,  while  she  was 
never  inferior  to  her  position,  she  constantly  showed 
herself  superior  to  her  fortune,  which  she  bore  with  ease 
and  simplicity.'  "^ 

In  this  second  volume  of  his  history  of  the 
Empress  Josephine  M.  Aubenas  has  given  us  some 
other  interesting  details  as  to  her  private  manner  of  life 
with  Napoleon. 

'  The  First  Consul  devoted  to  his  wife  every  moment 
which  he  could  spare  from  business  ;  often  indeed  he 
came  down  before  dinner  to  her  dressing  room,  fingered 
all  her  belongings,  putting  everything  into  disorder,  and 
teased  her  affectionately  on  the  different  ways  she 
arranged  her  hair  and  her  choice  of  gowns,  matters  in 
which  Josephine  had  certainly  nothing  to  learn  from 
her  husband.* 

'  Madame  Bonaparte,  who  understood  to  perfection 
the    art    of  dressing   well,*    says    Mme.    d'Abrantes, 
*  Aubenas,  vol.  ii,  pp.  117,  118. 
73 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

when  speaknig,  in  her  Memoires^  of  these  early  times, 
'gave  the  example  of  the  extremest  elegance.  .  .  . 
Her  toilet  was  one  of  the  employments  of  her  life, 
of  much  greater  importance  to  her  than  those  which 
concerned  her  more  material  wants.  She  could  not  have 
existed  if  she  had  not,  every  morning,  performed  the 
rites  of  the  three  toilettes.  This  occupation,  however, 
it  must  be  granted,  was  quite  a  legitimate  one  for  the 
consort  of  the  highest  authority  of  the  realm.' 

Josephine's  example  was  followed,  and  this  gave  an 
impetus  to  trade  and  manufactures,  the  prosperity  of 
which  the  First  Consul  was  endeavouring  to  promote. 


74 


CHAPTER  VII 

The  necessity  of  mentioning  the  foregoing  details  re- 
garding the  organisation  of  the  Consular  Court  and 
Josephine's  manner  of  life  has  prevented  us  so  far  from 
giving  a  general  account  of  the  principal  events  which 
marked  the  period  between  Napoleon's  elevation  to  the 
dignity  of  First  Consul  and  the  year  1802.  The  war 
with  Austria  had  indeed  soon  absorbed  all  General 
Bonaparte's  attention  and  vigilance.  The  preliminaries 
of  a  peace  advantageous  for  Austria  had  been  signed 
at  Paris  on  the  28th  July  1800,  but  as  they  were  not 
ratified  by  the  Emperor  of  Germany  hostilities  between 
France  and  Austria  had  recommenced.  Victory  once 
more  attended  the  arms  of  France  and  the  defeat  of  the 
Austrians  by  Moreau  at  the  battle  of  Hohenlinden,  after 
their  rout  at  Marengo  by  the  army  of  Italy,  induced 
the  cabinet  of  Vienna  to  negotiate.  Conferences  were 
held  at  Luneville  between  Joseph  Bonaparte,  represent- 
ing the  French  Government,  and  Count  Cobenzl, 
plenipotentiary  of  Austria,  and  on  the  9th  February 
1 801   the  final  treaty  of  peace  was  signed. 

During  a  brief  interruption  in  these  negotiations  the 
Duchess  of  Guiche,  an  emissary  of  the  Count  of  Artois 
"^  75 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

and  the  Royalist  party,  had  arrived  in  Paris.  This 
beautiful  woman  was  entrusted  with  the  task  of 
enlisting  Josephine's  support,  and  she  easily  discovered 
the  points  where  their  sympathies  were  in  accord. 
Mme.  de  Guiche  was  invited  to  lunch  at  Mal- 
maison,  an  opportunity  which  she  considered  very 
favourable  for  sounding  the  inclinations  of  her  hosts. 
The  fascinating  envoy  exercised  all  her  charms  in 
pleading  the  cause  of  the  Bourbon  princes,  and  gave 
her  hearers  to  understand  that  the  gratitude  of  the 
brothers  of  Louis  XVI  would  be  profound,  worthy  in 
fact  of  the  hero  who  would  become  the  object  of  it. 
Josephine,  whose  associations  had  always  been  royalist, 
cherished  perhaps  secret  leanings  towards  such  a 
consummation  ;  *  but  this  was  not  the  case  with  the 
First  Consul,  who  lost  no  time  in  having  orders 
conveyed  to  the  Duchess  the  same  evening  that  she 
must  quit  French  territory. 

The  royalist  party,  always  deluding  themselves 
with  vain  hopes,  had  counted  on  General  Bonaparte's 
assistance  in  re-establishing  the  monarchy  in  the 
interest  of  the  house  of  Bourbon.  The  First  Consul's 
flat  and  categorical  refusals  to  lend  himself  to  the 
cause  of  the  restoration  of  the  old  regime  must  have 
caused  them  the  keenest  disappointment.  The  failure 
of  their  emissaries  had  therefore  the  effect  of 
exasperating   the    most   exalted  chiefs  of  this   party, 

*  "  My  dear,"  Napoleon  is  reported  to  have  said  to  his  wife,  "  you 
are  a  very  good  woman,  but  you  are  wanting  in  commonsense.  .  .  . 
Just  leave  things  to  me  and  you  and  yours  will  be  better  off  than  by 
accepting  what  they  offer  you." 

76 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

and  of  inciting  them  to  resort  to  criminal 
enterprises. 

What  they  had  been  unable  to  obtain  by  peaceful 
means  they  would  endeavour  to  accomplish  by  violent 
methods.  On  the  third  Nivose,  Christmas  eve 
1 80O5  the  opera  was  to  give  a  performance  of  Haydn's 
oratorio,  the  Creation^  and  it  was  known  that  the 
family  of  the  First  Consul  had  decided  to  attend  it. 
General  Bonaparte,  accompanied  by  Lebrun,  de  Lannes 
and  de  Bessieres,  had  started  in  the  first  carriage  ; 
Madame  Bonaparte,  Hortense,  and  Madame  Murat, 
escorted  by  Rapp,  were  to  follow  immediately.  A 
providential  occurrence,  mentioned  in  Rapp's  MemoireSy 
delayed  Josephine's  departure,  so  that  the  terrible 
explosion  of  the  infernal  machine  in  the  Rue  Saint- 
Nicaise  took  place  just  after  the  Consul's  carriage 
had  passed,  and  a  few  moments  before  the  arrival 
of  the  equipage  in  which  were  seated  his  wife,  his 
sister  and  his  step-daughter.  Fifteen  persons  killed 
and  eighty  wounded  were  the  victims  of  this  horrible 
outrage,  which  shook  and  damaged  all  the  houses 
in  the  neighbourhood.  The  Consular  family,  after 
escaping  by  a  miracle  from  the  fate  which  had  been 
designed  for  them,  were  soon  assembled  safe  and 
sound  in  the  opera  house.  Madame  d'Abrantes 
gives  an  account  in  her  MemoireSy  which  is  worth 
quoting,  of  the  impression  made  upon  her  at  this 
dramatic  moment  by  the  appearance  of  the  chief 
of  the  state  and  his  family  : 

'  My  gaze,'  she  writes,  '  was  fixed  all  this  time  on  the 
First  Consul's  box.     He  was  calm  and  only  showed 

77 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

emotion  when  a  stir  occurred  amongst  the  audience 
and  he  heard  some  vehement  expressions  of  opinion  as 
to  what  had  just  happened.  Madame  Bonaparte  was 
not  so  well  able  to  control  her  feelings.  She  had  a 
terrified  look,  her  very  attitude,  always  so  full  of  grace, 
was  unlike  herself.  She  seemed  to  be  shivering  under 
her  shawl,  as  if  it  were  affording  her  protection,  and  it 
was  actually  this  shawl  which  had  been  the  cause  of 
her  safety.  She  was  crying ;  however  hard  she 
tried  to  keep  back  her  tears,  one  could  see  them 
coursing  down  her  pale  cheeks,  and  whenever  she 
looked  at  the  First  Consul  she  shuddered  afresh. 
Her  daughter  too  was  greatly  discomposed.  As  to 
Mme.  Murat,  the  character  of  the  family  was 
apparent  in  her  demeanour  ;  she  was  perfectly  mistress 
of  herself  throughout  this  trying  evening.' 

Josephine  remained  for  a  long  time  under  the 
impression  of  the  terror  she  had  experienced  on  her 
own  account  as  well  as  on  behalf  of  those  dear  to  her, 
and  exclaimed,  referring  to  the  numerous  conspiracies 
which  for  the  last  six  months  had  been  embittering  her 
existence  :  '  Can  it  be  called  life  to  pass  one's  time  thus 
in  fear  and  trembling  ! '  The  responsibility  for  this 
criminal  attempt  was  at  first  assigned  to  the  terrorists, 
but  Fouche  was  soon  acknowledged  to  be  right  in 
charging  the  Royalist  party  with  it. 

The  year  1801  saw  peace  re-established  not  only 
with  Austria  at  Luneville,  as  we  have  mentioned,  but 
also  with  Naples,  Bavaria,  Portugal,  Turkey,  and 
finally  with  Russia.  The  treaty  of  peace  with  England 
was    only    signed    during   the    first    months   of  the 

78 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

following  year,  but  the  agreement  which  was  concluded 
between  France  and  the  United  States  preceded  it  by 
nearly  a  twelvemonth.  These  events  mark  the 
culminating  point  of  the  Consular  period,  so  glorious 
an  epoch  in  General  Bonaparte's  career. 

The  happy  days  at  Malmaison,  the  charm  and 
delights  of  which  have  been  described  by  so  many 
writers  in  their  memoirs,  attained  during  this  year 
1 80 1  their  greatest  brilliancy.  During  the  day  the 
guests  of  the  First  Consul  and  Napoleon  himself  played 
at  prisoner's  base.  In  the  evening  Josephine  sat  down 
to  backgammon,  a  game  which  she  was  very  fond  of 
and  in  which,  it  seems,  she  excelled,  playing  well  and 
very  quickly.  In  the  evenings  the  aides-de-camp  and 
the  circle  of  acquaintance  of  the  simple  Consular 
Court  gathered  in  a  small  theatre  capable  of  accommo- 
dating about  two  hundred  spectators.  Eugene  de 
Beauharnais,  it  is  said,  distinguished  himself  in  the 
r61es  of  valet.  His  sister  Hortense  and  he  were  the 
principal  actors  ;  after  them  came  Bourrienne, 
Lauriston,  Denon,  and  several  ladies  and  officers  of 
the  household.  Michot,  a  first  rate  actor  and  associate 
of  the  Theatre  Francais,  was  stage  manager  and 
presided  over  the  rehearsals.  The  performances 
were  generally  small  society  pieces  ;  Napoleon  attended 
regularly  and  derived  much  amusement  from  them. 
He  liked  to  praise  or  criticise  the  acting,  and  his 
remarks,  often  laudatory,  always  shrewd,  showed 
the  interest  he  took  in  these  representations.  On 
Sundays  there  were  small  dances,  at  which  he 
gave   himself  up   entirely   to    the    enjoyment  of  the 

79 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

pastime  ;  this  patriarchal   life   had  its  attractions  for 
him. 

Fouche,    minister   of  police,    has    been   mentioned 
above  in  connection  with  the  outrage  of  the  Rue  Saint- 
Nicaise  ;  if  Napoleon  had  a  liking  for  Talleyrand  and 
his  flattering  ways,  Josephine  on  the  contrary  showed 
a  very  marked    preference    for    the    future    Duke    of 
Otranto.       She     considered      him     superior     to    the 
ex-bishop  in  frankness^  a  singular  word  to  use,  remarks 
M.     Aubenas,     in     making     a    comparison     between 
the    two    competitors    in    this    contest     of  duplicity. 
Josephine    indeed    was     persuaded,    and    at    length 
succeeded  in  persuading  Napoleon,  that  the  services  of 
Fouche,    that    dangerous    political    scoundrel,    were 
indispensable  to  their  safety,  and  that  in  no  circum- 
stances could  they  afford  to  have  him  as  an  enemy. 
In  spite  of  the  many  legitimate  reasons  the  emperor 
had  for  complaining  on  more  than  one  occasion  of  this 
despicable  creature,  Josephine  always  did  her  best,  as 
far  as  this  was  possible,  to  restore  him  to  her  husband's 
good  graces.     Everyone  knows  how  Fouche  afterwards 
repaid  her  services  !     It  was,  we  believe,  during  the 
year  1807  that  Fouch6  actually  had  the  effrontery  to 
suggest    to   the   empress    on   his  own   initiative,    and 
without  authorisation  ot  any  kind,  the  advisability  of  a 
divorce  !     In  permitting  himself  this  impertinence,  the 
famous  Duke  of  Otranto  imagined  he  was  falling  in 
with    Napoleon's    secret    views,    and    urged    him    to 
take  this  serious  resolve  with  the  intention  of  flattering 
him,    at   a   time   when   the  emperor  had    as  yet  no 
inclination  for  the  step. 

80 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

The  reader  will  remember  perhaps  the  indignation 
with  which  Queen  Hortense,  in  one  of  her  letters 
to  the  Abbe  Bertrand,  complains  of  an  accusation 
brought  against  her  mother  in  the  Memorial  de  Sainte- 
Helene^  which  she  considered  a  calumny.  *  In  the 
Memoires  de  Thibaudeau  will  be  found  the  explanation 
of  her  j  ustifiable  irritation.  The  editor  of  these  Memoires 
points  out  in  a  note,  in  support  of  what  is  said  in 
the  text,  that  Thibaudeau  in  his  unvarnished  narrative 
has  demonstrated  the  falseness  of  the  allegation, 
repeated  by  M.  de  Las  Cases,  concerning  Napoleon's 
first  wife.  The  emperor's  confidant  at  St  Helena 
represents  him  as  saying  that,  when  Josephine  had 
to  renounce  the  hope  of  giving  her  husband  a  son, 
she  several  times  suggested  to  him  the  perpetration 
of  a  great  political  fraud,  namely  that  she  should 
feign  pregnancy  and  should  adopt  any  child  that  he 
might  choose  to  present  her  with.  Now  Thibaudeau, 
speaking  of  one  of  the  last  conversations  he  had 
with  Josephine,  expresses  himself  with  regard  to 
this  matter  in  the  following  terms  : 

'  Rest  assured,  she  said  to  me,  that  they  have 
not  renounced  their  project  of  heredity,  and  that 
sooner  or  later  it  will  come  about.  They  are 
determined  that  Bonaparte  shall  have  a  child,  they 
do  not  care  by  whom.  They  would  wish  then  to 
make  me  adopt  it,  because  they  feel  that  Bonaparte 
would  do  himself  a  wrong,  if  he  dismissed  a  woman 
who  had  linked  her  fortunes  with  his  at  a  time  when 
he  was  still  without  power,  and  whose  daughter  he 
*  See  Introduction,  pp.  3  and  4. 
F  81 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

intended  to  give  in  marriage  to  his  brother.  Never, 
however,  I  have  told  them,  will  I  lend  myself  to 
such  an  infamous  act.  .  .  .' 

'  They '  stood  for  the  clan  of  the  Bonaparte  family, 
always  jealous  of  the  Beauharnais,  whom  the  sisters 
of  the  First  Consul  detested  ;  also  for  Fouche, 
Talleyrand,  and  the  host  of  intriguers  who  hoped 
to  acquire  honours  or  profit  from  a  fresh  marriage 
of  their  master.  Josephine  shows  her  fairness  and 
discernment  in  not  throwing  the  responsibility  of 
these  ideas  of  divorce  entirely  on  her  husband ; 
she  knew  perfectly  well  how  strongly  Napoleon  was 
urged  to  this  course  by  certain  influential  persons 
of  his  entourage.  Louis  Bonaparte,  Josephine's 
young  brother-in-law,  had,  as  we  have  seen,  always 
evinced  for  her  much  sympathy  and  regard.  She 
on  her  side,  grateful  for  his  considerateness,  was 
well  disposed  towards  Louis,  not  being  exactly  spoiled 
by  the  rest  of  the  family.  She  therefore  considered 
she  was  acting  in  his  interest  as  well  as  in  that 
of  her  daughter  Hortense  in  endeavouring  to 
arrange  a  marriage  between  Mile,  de  Beauharnais 
and  Napoleon's  brother.  Josephine  succeeded  in 
her  efforts  after  some  resistance  on  the  side  of  the 
parties  concerned,  who  had  a  sort  of  presentiment 
that  they  were  contracting  an  ill-assorted  union.  The 
wedding  took  place  in  the  first  days  of  1802,  and 
Cardinal  Caprara,  who  happened  to  be  in  Paris,  pro- 
nounced his  nuptial  benediction  on  the  young  couple 
at  their  request  in  the  drawing-room  of  the  house 
in  the    Rue  de    la  Victoire  where    they  were    going 

82 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

to  take  up  their  abode,  seeing  that  the  churches 
had  not  yet  been  re-opened.  During  the  course  of  the 
same  year,  on  the  i8th  Thermidor  (6th  August), 
General  Bonaparte  was  proclaimed  Consul  for  life. 

Josephine,  as  the  reader  now  knows,  had  misgivings 
for  the  future,  and,  unambitious  herself  by  nature,  she 
dreaded  so  much  greatness  for  her  husband.  The 
Bonapartes  on  the  contrary,  possessed  of  an  insatiable 
greed  for  honours  and  dignities,  would  have  liked  to 
see  their  chief  mount  more  rapidly  still  the  steps 
leading  to  supreme  power.  At  the  Tuileries  and  in 
official  circles  the  only  subject  of  conversation  was 
heredity  and  dynasty,  with  a  view  to  strengthening 
General  Bonaparte's  government.  According  to 
Thibaudeau's  account  again,  Josephine  once  remarked 
when  unbosoming  herself  to  him  : 

"  I  do  not  at  all  approve  the  schemes  that  are  on 
foot  ;  I  have  told  Bonaparte  so.  He  listens  to  me 
with  a  good  deal  of  attention,  but  the  flatterers 
soon  make  him  change  his  opinion.  The  new  con- 
cessions which  will  be  made  to  him  will  increase  the 
number  of  his  enemies.  The  generals  are  exclaiming 
that  they  have  not  been  fighting  against  the  Bourbons 
in  order  to  exchange  their  rule  for  that  of  the  Bonaparte 
family.  I  by  no  means  regret  having  no  children  from 
my  husband,  for  1  should  tremble  for  their  fate.  I 
shall  remain  attached  to  Bonaparte's  fortunes,  whatever 
perils  may  attend  them,  as  long  as  he  retams  for  me 
the  regard  and  the  affection  which  he  has  always 
evinced,  but  the  day  he  changes  I  shall  retire  from  the 
Tuileries.     I   am   quite  well  aware   that   he  is  being 

83 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

urged  to  separate  from  me.  Lucien  is  giving  his 
brother  the  worst  advice." 

In  the  month  of  May  1802,  the  peace  of  Amiens 
was  signed  with  England  and  was  celebrated  with  much 
solemnity.  After  so  many  convulsions,  wars  and  mis- 
fortunes, France  enjoyed  at  length  a  real  repose  and  a 
renewed  prosperity.  This  period  of  calmness  and 
tranquility  was  unfortunately  not  destined  to  be  of 
long  duration.  After  another  stay  at  Plombieres, 
Josephine  went  to  rejoin  her  husband,  who  in  the 
early  autumn  took  possession  of  the  ancient  royal 
residence  of  St  Cloud.  Napoleon  transferred  thither 
the  seat  of  government  and  announced,  through  Duroc, 
that  he  would  hold  every  Sunday,  at  the  Chateau 
of  St  Cloud,  a  grand  reception  preceded  by  Mass,  a 
general  attendance  at  which  would  be  agreeable  to  the 
First  Consul.* 

Josephine,  however,  always  clung  to  Malmaison, 
that  first  home  of  her  second  youth  and  of  her  happiness. 
All  her  efforts  were  devoted  to  rendering  it  more  and 
more  beautiful  and  to  making  it  into  a  charming  and 
attractive  retreat.  The  re-establishment  of  peace  with 
England  had  allowed  of  Josephine  opening  relations 
with  some  botanists  and  with  the  principal  nurserymen 
in  London.  Through  these  channels  she  received  rare 
or  new  plants  and  shrubs  with  which  she  enriched  her 
gardens.f      '  She   used   to  give    me    for  translation,' 

•  Thibaudeau,  Memoir es. 

t  Memoires  de  Mile.  George,  according  to  the  original  manu- 
script, by  Mons.  P.  A.  Cheramy,  1908.  *  Josephine  and  flowers  *  : — 
'Josephine  was  very  fond  of  flowers.  Mile.  Raucourt  also  took 
a  great  interest  in   them.     They  exchanged  specimens.    .    .    .    On 

84 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

writes  Napoleon's  second  secretary  in  his  Memoires, 
*  letters  written  in  English  which  were  addressed  to  her 
on  this  subject.  Josephine,  at  Malmaison,  used 
regularly  to  visit  her  hot-houses,  in  which  she  took  a 
great  interest/  *  There  she  felt  really  at  home,  and  was 
not  a  prey  to  painful  recollections  of  the  unfortunate 
Queen  Marie-Antoinette. 

In  the  month  of  October  1802,  Mme.  Louis 
Bonaparte  gave  birth  to  a  son,  a  circumstance  which 
rejoiced  Josephine's  heart  and  gave  Napoleon  great 
satisfaction.  Towards  the  close  of  this  same  month  of 
October  the  First  Consul  and  his  wife  undertook  a 
journey  to  Normandy,  where  they  received,  especially 
at  Rouen  and  Evreux,  an  enthusiastic  welcome.  So 
much  was  this  the  case  that  Josephine  was  able  to  write 
from  the  former  place  to  her  daughter  in  the  following 
strain  : 

'  The  courier  is  leaving  and  I  have  only  time  to  send 
you,  as  well  as  your  husband  and  my  little  grandson, 
my  warmest  love.  We  are  all  well.  The  rejoicings 
at  Rouen  are  universal,  all  the  inhabitants  have  been 
assembled  under  Bonaparte's  windows  since  his 
arrival,  and  are  every  moment  clamouring  to  see  him. 
They  do  not  know  what  name  to  call  him  by  to  give 
expression  to  their  affection  ;  their  joy  almost  amounts 
to  frenzy.     I  send  you  a  song  they  are  singing  in  the 

one  of  Josephine's  journeys  she  stopped  at  /a  Chapelle,  (Mile. 
Raucourt's  residence)  ;  she  visited  the  hothouse  and  carried  off  some 
plants.  This  little  detail  goes  to  prove  Josephine's  intimacy  with 
Mile.  Raucourt,  and  the  familiarity  which  caused  her  to  address 
her  by  her  Christian  name,  Fanny.' 

*  Meneval,  Memoir es^  vol.  i. 

85 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

streets.  1  have  received  your  letter  ;  it  has  given  me 
great  pleasure.  Goodbye  ;  they  are  waiting  for  my 
letter.  Bonaparte  and  Eugene  send  their  love,  and 
your  mother  her  fondest  aifection. 

'Josephine.'* 

Thus  peacefully  did  the  year  1802  end  for  the 
mother  of  Eugene  and  Hortense,  a  year  signalized  by 
an  important  religious  event,  the  Concordat,  which 
reconciled  the  French  nation  with  the  Church. 

*  Didot  collection,  vol.  ii,  p.  224. 


36 


CHAPTER  VIII 

In  the  year  1803  took  place  the  rupture  of  the  treaty 
of  Amiens,  from  which  England  had  not  reaped  the 
advantages  she  expected.  This  ephemeral  truce  in  the 
merciless  struggle  between  France  and  her  eternal 
rivals  might  perhaps  have  modified  entirely  Napoleon's 
destiny,  had  a  pacific  tendency  on  the  part  of  the 
British  Government  given  it  a  sincere  and  durable 
character.  From  this  moment  all  the  genius  of 
France's  ruler  was  concentrated  on  preparations  for 
war,  his  only  ambition  henceforth  being  to  repay 
France's  hereditary  enemies  for  the  evil  they  had 
always  done  to  the  only  rival  they  feared  in  Europe, 
previous  to  1870  and  the  fall  of  the  Second  Empire. 

Josephine,  distressed  at  the  turn  events  had  taken, 
had  left  for  Plombieres.  From  there  she  wrote  to 
her  daughter  : 

'  I  am  intensely  melancholy,  my  dear  Hortense  ;  I 
am  parted  from  you  and  my  heart  is  sick  as  well  as  my 
body.  I  feel  I  was  not  born  for  so  much  greatness, 
and  that  I  would  be  happier  in  some  quiet  retreat 
surrounded  by  the  objects  of  my  affection.  .  .  .  '* 
*  Aubenas,  vol.  ii,  Didot  collection. 

87 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

The  First  Consul  subsequently  made  a  tour  with 
Josephine  in  the  northern  provinces  and  the  Belgian 
departments.  The  welcome  there  accorded  to  them 
surpassed  in  enthusiasm  the  ovations  they  had  received 
on  their  tour  in  Normandy.  Josephine,  in  a  less 
happy  frame  of  mind  than  on  the  previous  occasion, 
wrote  to  her  daughter  from  Lille  on  the  9th 
July  1803  :* 

'  I  have  taken  the  trouble,  my  dear  Hortense,  to 
get  your  brother  and  these  ladies  to  write  to  you,  to 
give  you  some  news  of  Bonaparte  and  myself.  Since 
I  left  Paris  I  have  been  continually  occupied  in 
receiving  compliments.  You  know  me  and  can  judge 
from  this  whether  I  would  not  prefer  a  quieter 
life  !  *  .  .  . 

After  visiting  Brussels,  Li^ge,  Namur,  and  Sedan, 
the  First  Consul  returned  to  Paris  and  thence  to  St 
Cloud,  his  thoughts  already  occupied  with  plans  for 
a  naval  expedition  against  England,  preparations  for 
which  he  commenced  at  once  on  his  return  by  the 
organisation  of  the  famous  camp  at  Boulogne. 

England,  at  first  contemptuous,  at  length  became 
uneasy  at  these  immense  preparations,  and  betook 
herself  to  the  expedient  of  conspiracy,  a  deplorable 
policy,  contrary  to  all  considerations  of  morality,  and 
one  as  to  which  M.  Thiers  has  expressed  his 
opinion  with  the  authority  that  attaches  to  all  his 
writings. 

Josephine   wrote   her   daughter   a    letter    on    this 
subject,    indicating    the    apprehensions    which    were 
*  Aubenas,  vol.  ii. 
88 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

weighing  on  her  mind,  and  we  think  it  will  prove 
interesting  to  reproduce  it  : 

'  Many  things  have  happened  since  you  left/  she 
writes.  '  The  man  who  was  sentenced  to  be  shot  and 
petitioned  for  pardon  has  revealed  some  matters  of 
importance  :  there  were  in  Paris  eighty  conspirators 
determined  to  assassinate  Bonaparte.  Savary  started 
the  day  before  yesterday  with  fifty  gendarmes 
to  arrest  Georges  and  seventeen  other  individuals, 
who  are  not  very  far  from  Paris.  Just  fancy,  Georges 
has  been  in  Paris  or  in  the  neighbourhood  since 
August ;  truly  it  makes  one  shudder  !  When  you 
come  I  will  give  you  all  the  details  of  this  horrible 
plot.  A  number  of  persons  have  already  been 
arrested.  Do  not  tell  any  one  about  this,  except,  of 
course  your  husband.'  * 

It  seems  worth  while  to  refer  here  to  what  was 
taking  place  at  the  camp  at  Boulogne  during  the 
interval  which  preceded  the  arrest  of  the  majority  of 
the  conspirators  concerned  in  this  plot,  a  measure 
which  was  speedily  carried  out  and  which  resulted  in 
the  execution  of  several  of  the  guilty  parties. 
Nothing  could  have  been  thought  out  with  greater 
care,  nor  with  more  acuteness  and  attention  to  details 
than  this  gigantic  enterprise  against  Great  Britain  : 
'  Three  hours  at  sea,'  said  Napoleon,  '  and  only  a  few 
days  marching  separate  us  from  London  ;  I  shall  lead 
there  1 50,000  veterans,  and  we  shall  achieve,  on  the 
ruins  of  the  English  oligarchy,  the  peace  of  the  world 
and  the  freedom  of  the  seas.' 

*  DIdot  collection,  in  Aubenas. 

89 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

'  With  this  formidable  array  confronting  her,' 
writes  M.  de  Colbert  in  his  Traditions  et  Souvenirs^ 
'  England  was  forced  to  concentrate  her  attention  on  a 
single  point,  and  continental  Europe,  recognising  the 
existence  of  a  state  of  war,  made  no  comments  on  these 
immense  armaments.  Bonaparte  was  thus  ready  for 
all  eventualities. 

'  This  prepared  war-material  was  scattered  all  along 
the  coast  from  Cherburg  to  the  island  of  Texel  ;  it 
was  necessary  to  unite  it  at  the  point  whence  it  would 
be  easiest  to  cross  over  to  England,  and  the  union 
could  only  be  effected  in  full  view  of  the  English 
cruisers.  This  difficulty  however  was  surmounted  ; 
the  flotilla  answered  all  requirements  ;  the  whole  army 
could  find  room  on  board,  and  after  a  little  practice 
the  embarcation  and  debarcation  took  place  in  an 
orderly  manner  and  with  remarkable  rapidity.  The 
first  part  of  the  problem  seemed  solved.' 

That  this  daring  and  formidable  scheme  came  to 
nothing  was  not  due  to  the  material  impossibility  of 
carrying  it  out,  but  to  the  incompetence  of  the  un- 
fortunate Admiral  Villeneuve. 

Although  mixing  but  little  in  politics  and  still  less 
in  matters  pertaining  to  war  and  the  preparations  for  it, 
Josephine  was  not  indifferent  to  the  vicissitudes  which 
befel  her  husband's  great  enterprise.  During  one  of 
Napoleon's  frequent  visits  to  the  camp  of  Boulogne, 
when  she  on  her  side  had  gone  again  to  take  the 
waters     at     Plombieres,     Josephine    wrote     to     her 

*  Three  volumes  by  the  Marquis  de  Colbert-Chabanais ;  edited 
by  V.  Havard. 

90 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

husband's     private     secretary*     the     two    following 
notes  : 

'Plombieres,  19th  Thermidor  (Year  XII) 
'  1  am  much  obliged  to  you  my  dear  Menevalle  (sic) 
"  for  your  kind  attention  in  giving  me  particulars  of 
the  emperor's  arrival  at  Boulogne.  Your  note  has 
given  me  the  greatest  pleasure.  Please  continue  to 
send  me  such  details  as  often  as  possible  ;  you  can  do 
nothing  that  will  be  so  agreeable  to  me,  and  I  shall 
await  all  news  with  impatience. 

^Josephine.' 

'  PlombiereSj  le  29  Thermidor 
'  I  take  too  much  interest,  my  dear  Menneval  (j/V), 
in  the  news  you  give  me,  not  to  beg  you  again  to 
continue  writing  me  as  minutely  as  ever.  I  count 
upon  you  to  keep  me  accurately  informed  as  to  the 
(JV  1  emperorls  health,  and  to  give  me  as  many  details  as 
possible  about  all  the  preparations  that  are  being  made. 
Reports  of  an  invasion  are  continually  flying  about ; 
I  cherish  the  hope  that  they  are  without  foundation  f 
.  .  .  still,  do  not  hide  anything  from  me,  and  rest 
assured  that,  in  diminishing  my  anxieties,  your  notes 
will  do  me  almost  as  much  good  as  the  waters. 

'Josephine.' 

Previous  allusion  has  been  made  to  the  plot  against 

*  Letters  of  the  Empress  Josephine  to  Mons.  de  M6neval  (not 
published). 

■[■  A  curious  reflection  on  the  empress'  part  ;  Josephine  seems 
inspired  by  the  fear  she  had  conceived  in  her  childhood  in  Martinique 
of  the  frequent  attempts  directed  by  the  English  vessels  against  the 
French  Antilles. 

91 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

the  First  Consurs  life,  which  Fouche  had  been 
instrumental  in  unearthing,  and  which  had  fortunately- 
been  frustrated  before  it  could  be  carried  into  exe- 
cution. Cadoudal  and  several  of  his  accomplices  paid 
with  their  lives  for  their  criminal  attempt.  General 
Moreau  was  exiled  to  America,  but  many  of  the 
conspirators,  amongst  others  the  brothers  Polignac, 
owed  their  pardon  to  Josephine's  intervention.  M. 
de  Riviere  as  well  as  others  owed  the  remission  of 
their  punishment  either  to  the  Murats  or  to  other 
members  of  the  Bonaparte  family.  It  had  been 
asserted  at  the  Tuileries  that  the  persons  implicated  in 
this  plot  had  to  await,  before  they  could  act,  the 
arrival  of  a  prince  ;  but  who  could  this  prince  be  ^ 
No  name  had  been  mentioned.  .  .  . 

'  One  can  hardly  form  an  idea,'  writes  Napoleon's 
private  secretary  in  his  MemoireSy  '  of  the  anxieties, 
alarms  and  painful  insomnia  to  which,  according  to  my 
personal  observation,  the  First  Consul  was  a  prey 
during  the  month  of  January  1804,  when  tangled  webs 
were  being  woven  round  him  which  he  could  neither 
discover  nor  reach,  when  he  felt  the  ground  tremble 
beneath  his  feet,  when  the  very  air  he  breathed  seemed 
to  bring  him  warnings  of  an  unknown  danger.  But 
his  courage  remained  undaunted.'  * 

The  continual  tension,  however,  to  which  he  was 
subjected,  could  not  but  disturb  Napoleon's  calmness 
and  serenity.  He  became  gloomy,  nervous,  and 
defiant,  and  M.  Thiers  in  his  work,  Le  Consulat  et 
rEmpire^  attributes  to  him  with  much  probability  the 
*  Meneval,  Memoires,  vol.  i,  p.  264,  et  seqq. 
92 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

following  language  :  "  The  Bourbons  think  they  can 
shed  my  blood  like  that  of  the  lower  animals.  My 
blood,  however,  is  as  good  as  theirs,  and  I  intend  to 
make  them  feel  the  terror  with  which  they  are  trying 
to  inspire  me.  I  forgive  Moreau  his  weakness  and 
the  promptings  of  a  foolish  jealousy,  but  I  shall  cause 
the  first  of  these  princes  who  falls  into  my  hands 
to  be  mercilessly  shot ;  I  will  teach  them  the  sort  of 
man  they  have  to  deal  with." 

Alas  !  adds  Mons.  Aubenas,  in  order  to  realise  this 
sanguinary  threat,  he  committed  the  error  of  stretching 
his  hand  beyond  the  frontiers,  and  of  there  seizing  a 
prince,  who,  in  spite  of  unfortunate  appearances,  was 
evidently  not  the  one  for  whom  the  conspirators  were 
waiting  ! 

The  arrest  and  execution  of  the  illstarred  Duke  of 
Enghien  are  facts  too  well  known  for  it  to  be  necessary 
to  refer  again  to  all  the  particulars  of  the  sad  story. 
We  shall  not  enlarge  further  on  the  very  heavy  share 
of  responsibility  which  rests,  with  respect  to  this  cruel 
deed,  on  Talleyrand  and  Fouche,  those  two  perfidious 
councillors  of  Napoleon.  We  shall  only  speak  of  the 
profound  and  painful  impression  which  the  melancholy 
and  unmerited  fate  of  the  last  of  the  Condes  made 
upon  Josephine.  Bourrienne  indeed  attributes  to 
Josephine,  some  time  after  this,  the  remark  :  "  This 
title  of  empress  does  not  dazzle  me  !  "  and  then  makes 
her  say,  in  allusion  to  the  death  of  the  duke  :  "  I 
believe  all  this  bodes  ill  for  him,  for  my  children  and  for 
myself  The  wretches  should  be  satisfied  !  See  to  what 
they  have  driven  him !     This  death  poisons  my  life." 

93 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Josephine,  whose  kind  and  sensitive  heart  had  a 
horror  of  any  sort  of  violence,  was  profoundly  affected 
by  this  tragic  and  sinister  calamity,  all  the  more  so 
that  she  had  always  maintained  for  the  late  royal 
family  the  sentiments  of  attachment  and  respect  which 
had  been  inculcated  in  her  from  her  childhood 
upwards. 

It  is  asserted,  writes  M.  Aubenas,*  that  Madame 
Bonaparte  had  thrown  herself  at  her  husband's  feet  to 
plead  for  the  Duke  of  Enghien's  pardon  and  that  she 
had  met  with  a  refusal.  '  Not  only  is  this  statement 
false,'  adds  the  Duke  of  Rovigo  in  his  MemoireSy  ^  but 
it  is  entirely  wanting  in  probability.'  Josephine  had 
only  forebodings,  she  shed  tears,  and  since  the  news 
arrived  that  the  prince  had  been  arrested,  was  con- 
tinually cross-questioning  her  husband,  fearing, 
although  hardly  believing  it  as  yet,  that  his  destruction 
had  been  resolved  on.  The  First  Consul  endeavoured 
to  avoid  these  importunate  questions  and  the  sight  of 
his  wife's  tears,  afraid  of  their  effect  upon  himself. 
'  A  misunderstanding  or  a  crime,'  writes  M. 
Aubenas  again,  thwarted  such  '  inclinations  towards 
clemency  as  stirred  the  heart  of  Josephine's  husband, 
and  the  day  after  the  execution  he  came  himself  to 
announce  to  his  wife,  with  an  air  that  betrayed  his 
emotion,  that  the  Duke  of  Enghien  had  ceased  to  live. 
Mme.  Bonaparte  thus  only  learnt  the  news  of  the 
prince's  sentence  at  the  same  time  as  that  of  his  death, 
and  she  had  therefore  no  possible  opportunity  of 
asking  a  favour,  which  she  certainly  would  have 
*  Aubenas,  vol.  ii,  pp.  228-230. 
94 


; 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

spared  no  efforts  to  obtain,  and  which,  her  first 
entreaties  show  this  conclusively,  she  would  in  all 
probability  have  been  successful  in  obtaining.* 

It  is  said,  nevertheless,  according  to  the  testimony 
of  several  of  Josephine's  contemporaries,  that  she 
received  this  horrible  news  with  an  explosion  of  tears 
and  reproaches.  According  to  M.  Aubenas,  she  was 
heard  to  exclaim  in  heartbroken  tones  more  than  once 
during  this  melancholy  morning :  '  Oh,  who  can  have 
given  him  such  advice  ?  If  I  had  only  known  this  in 
time.  ...  I  would  have  averted  this  catastrophe  !  * 
This  deplorable  occurrence  forms  indeed  a  page  which 
one  would  gladly  efface  from  Napoleon's  glorious 
history. 

We  shall  conclude  what  remains  to  be  said  on  this 
painful  subject  by  borrowing  two  quotations,  the  first 
from  the  Memoires  of  Prince  Eugene,  the  second  from 
those  of  Meneval,  both  of  which  bear  upon  the 
unhappy  fate  of  the  Duke  of  Enghien. 

'Without  entering  on  the  considerations  of  high 
politics  which  may  possibly  explain  such  a  deplorable 
act,'  writes  Prince  Eugene,  '  I  will  confine  myself 
to  saying  that  on  going  the  following  day  to 
Malmaison,  I  learned  at  one  and  the  same  time 
the  arrest,  the  sentence  and  the  execution  of  the 
prince.  My  mother  was  in  tears  and  addressed  the 
keenest  reproaches  to  the  First  Consul,  who  listened 
to  her  in  silence.  She  told  him  that  it  was  a  shameful 
deed,  the  stain  of  which  would  cling  to  him  for  ever  ; 
that  he  had  yielded  to  the  treacherous  counsels  of 
those   who   were    really  his  enemies  and  rejoiced   to 

95 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

be  able  to  tarnish  the  history  of  his  life  by  so 
disgraceful  a  page.  The  First  Consul  retired  to 
his  study  and  a  few  minutes  later  Caulaincourt 
arrived  on  his  return  from  Strasburg.  He  was 
surprised  at  my  mother's  grief  and  she  hastened  to  tell 
him  the  cause  of  it.  At  this  fatal  news  Caulaincourt 
struck  his  forehead  and  tore  his  hair,  exclaiming  : 
"  Oh  1  why  had  I  to  be  mixed  up  with  this  disastrous 
expedition  !  "  Twenty  years  have  passed  since  then, 
and  I  recollect  perfectly  that  several  of  the  persons, 
who  endeavour  to-day  to  clear  themselves  from  the 
imputation  of  having  had  a  share  in  this  crime,  then 
boasted  of  it  as  something  to  be  proud  of,  and 
strongly  approved  the  deed.  As  for  myself,  I  was 
very  grieved,  on  account  of  the  respect  and  attachment 
I  felt  for  the  First  Consul  ;  it  seemed  to  me  that 
his  glory  had  thereby  suffered  eclipse.  Some  days 
afterwards  my  mother  told  me  she  had  had  the 
satisfaction  of  sending  to  a  lady,  a  great  friend  of 
the  prince,  his  dog  and  some  of  his  belongings.'  * 

The    following    is    the    account     given     by    the 
other  eye-witness  : 

Malmaison  presented  a  gloomy  appearance  on 
this  day.  I  still  remember  the  silence  that  reigned, 
in  the  evening,  in  Mme.  Bonaparte's  drawing- 
room.  The  First  Consul  stood  leaning  with  his  back 
against  the  mantlepiece,  while  M.  de  Fontanes 
read  something  aloud  to  him.  Mme.  Bonaparte 
was  seated  at  one  end  of  a  sofa  looking  very  melan- 
choly and  with  tears  in  her  eyes  ;  the  members  of 
*  M moires  et  correspondance  du  Prince  Eugene,  vol.  i,  p.  90. 

96 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

the  household,  at  that  time  few  in  number,  had 
retired  to  the  neighbouring  gallery,  and  talked  in 
a  low  tone  on  the  one  subject  of  conversation  which 
absorbed  everyone's  thoughts.  Some  persons  arrived 
from  Paris,  but  stopped  at  the  door  of  the  salon, 
struck  with  the  dismal  aspect  of  the  room.  The  First 
Consul,  sombre  and  thoughtful,  while  listening 
attentively  to  M.  de  Fontanes*  reading,  seemed 
not  to  be  aware  of  their  presence.  The  minister 
of  finance  remained  standing  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  in 
the  same  place,  without  being  addressed  by  anyone. 
Unwilling  to  retire  as  he  had  come,  he  approached 
the  First  Consul  and  enquired  if  he  had  any 
orders  to  give  ;  the  Consul  replied  by  a  negative 
gesture.'  * 

*   Meneval,  Memoires,  vol.  i. 


97 


CHAPTER   IX 

The  Empire  was  in  the  air.  The  necessity  of 
strengthening  the  established  order  of  things  by- 
rendering  the  First  Consul's  power  hereditary  had 
for  long  been  a  subject  of  discussion  at  the  Tuileries. 
Once  the  hereditary  principle  had  been  sanctioned 
by  a  new  monarchical  constitution,  conspiracies  and 
plots  would  no  longer,  it  was  said,  be  liable  to  entail 
such  grave  consequences  even  if  successful.  Already 
there  were  whisperings  in  the  immediate  circle  of 
the  chief  of  the  state  as  to  the  necessity  of  a  divorce, 
Josephine  being  no  longer  able  to  indulge  the  hope 
of  giving  her  husband  the  son  whom  he  so  ardently 
desired.  Napoleon's  sisters  and  his  brother  Lucien 
especially,  were  urging  the  First  Consul  to  this 
decision.  Fouch6  as  well  as  Talleyrand  took  an 
active  part  in  these  intrigues,  adapting  themselves 
to  what  they  guessed  were  Napoleon's  own  inclina- 
tions. Josephine,  who  was  devoid  of  great  ambition, 
was  by  no  means  anxious  to  wear  the  diadem,  which 
had  nevertheless  been  predicted  for  her  by  a  prophecy 
uttered  at  Martinique.  It  is  said  that  she  exclaimed 
to   her   daughter :    "  We   are  mounting   to  a  height 

98 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

whence  the  fall  will  be  a  terrible  one  !  "  Hortense 
shared  these  misgivings.  The  mother  as  well  as 
the  daughter,  moreover,  were  imbued  with  royalist 
sentiments  ;  to  seize  the  crown  of  the  ancient  kingly- 
race  and  place  it  on  the  head  of  another  seemed  to 
them  an  act  of  usurpation. 

Bourrienne  asserts  that  he  was  present  one  day  at 
a  little  private  scene  between  Josephine  and  Napoleon 
in  the  Consular  study.  Josephine,  coming  and  seating 
herself  on  her  husband's  knees,  said  to  him  :  "  I 
beseech  you,  Bonaparte,  do  not  make  yourself  king 
...  it  is  that  horrid  Lucien  who  is  urging  you  ;  do 
not  listen  to  him  !  "  To  which  Napoleon  replied  : 
*'  You  are  crazy,  my  poor  Josephine  ;  it  is  some  of 
your  old  dowager  acquaintances  or  your  bosom  friend, 
La  Rochefoucauld,  who  must  have  been  telling  you 
these  tales  ;  just  let  me  alone  !  " 

The  life-consulship,  the  proclamation  of  which  had 
already  awakened  Josephine's  anxiety,  seemed  only  to 
have  been  the  preliminary  to  the  appropriation  of  the 
throne.  The  First  Consul's  family  and  entourage  took 
a  lively  interest  in  this  important  change.  In  the 
Consular  household  it  had  at  first  been  the  subject  of 
asides,  and  then  of  general  conversations  ;  there  was 
an  almost  unanimous  wish  for  the  introduction  of  the 
hereditary  principle.  Josephine  fell  in  with  the 
enthusiasm  that  manifested  itself  on  all  sides,  in  spite 
of  her  repugnance  at  the  outset.  She  only  expressed 
to  those  in  her  immediate  confidence  the  misgivings 
she  felt  at  the  elevation  of  her  husband  to  sovereign 
power.     The  Senate  had  made  the  first  move  by  an 

99 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

address  presented  to  the  First  Consul  two  months 
before,  and  this  example  had  been  followed  by  the 
other  government  bodies.  The  plots  and  intrigues  of 
the  princes  and  of  the  exiles  beyond  the  frontiers  dealt 
a  final  blow  to  all  wavering  and  irresolution. 

The  High  Court  took  the  initiative  in  this  matter 
and  the  Council  of  State  was  consulted.  The  desire 
expressed  by  the  High  Court  was  submitted  to  the 
Senate,  the  members  of  the  Legislative  Corps,  who 
happened  to  be  present  in  Paris  during  the  recess  of 
that  Assembly,  also  giving  their  adhesion  to  the 
measure.  On  the  i8th  of  May  a  decree  of  the  Senate 
was  promulgated,  conferring  on  Napoleon  the  heredi- 
tary title  of  Emperor,  while  the  popular  vote  confirmed 
the  decision  of  the  great  assemblies  of  the  nation. 

The  Senate  presented  itself  in  a  body  at  St  Cloud, 
to  lay  before  the  new  emperor  the  Senatus  Consultum 
awarding  him  the  imperial  crown.  The  senatorial 
body  next  proceeded  to  offer  their  congratulations  to 
the  new  empress.  The  High  Chancellor  Cambac^r^s, 
who  presided  over  the  Assembly,  was  the  spokesman 
and  addressed  Josephine  as  follows  : 

"  Madame,  the  Senate  has  still  a  very  agreeable  duty 
to  perform,  that  of  offering  to  your  Imperial  Majesty 
its  respectful  homage  and  the  expression  of  the  grati- 
tude of  the  French  people.  Yes,  madame,  fame  has 
spread  far  and  wide  the  tidings  of  your  many  deeds  of 
kindness,  it  says  you  are  always  easy  of  access  to  the 
unfortunate,  and  that  you  use  your  influence  with  the 
Chief  of  the  State  only  to  alleviate  their  sufferings  ; 
that  your  Majesty  not  only  takes  pleasure  in  helping 

lOO 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE    >   ■     :  •:'•';';.' 

others,  but  does  so  with  that  admirable  delicacy  which 
renders  gratitude  warmer  and  the  benefits  conferred 
more  precious.  Such  a  disposition  gives  us  the  assur- 
ance that  the  name  of  the  Empress  Josephine  will  be 
the  symbol  of  compassion  and  of  hope  ;  and  whereas 
the  virtues  of  Napoleon  will  always  serve  as  an  example 
to  his  successors,  teaching  them  the  art  of  governing 
the  nations,  so  will  the  unfading  memory  of  your 
benevolence  teach  their  august  consorts  that  a  life 
devoted  to  drying  the  tears  of  the  sorrowful  is  the 
surest  pathway  to  the  sovereignty  of  hearts.  The 
Senate  congratulates  itself  on  being  the  first  to  salute 
your  Imperial  Majesty,  and  he  who  has  the  honour  to 
be  its  spokesman  dares  to  hope  that  you  will  count 
him  amongst  the  number  of  your  most  faithful 
servants." 

The  court  was  soon  organized  and  the  great  offices 
of  state  apportioned.  Mme.  de  la  Rochefoucauld 
became  lady-in-waiting  to  the  empress.  The  emperor 
again  visited  the  camp  at  Boulogne,  the  empress  stay- 
ing meanwhile  at  Aix-la-Chapelle,  where  the  greatest 
honours  were  paid  her.  Fresh  homage  awaited  the 
powerful  sovereign  of  France  and  the  empress  at 
Mayence.  Finally  the  imperial  couple  returned  in  the 
month  of  October  to  St  Cloud  to  prepare  a  fitting 
reception  for  the  Holy  Father,  whose  arrival  in  Paris 
was  expected  for  the  consecration  of  the  new 
Charlemagne. 

During  the  few  weeks  which  preceded  the  coronation, 
Josephine  at  one  moment  saw  herself  nearly  sacrificed 
to  the  rancorous  jealousies  of  the  Bonaparte   family. 

lOI 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Grave  dissensions  arose  indeed  in  the  bosom  of  this 
family.  Napoleon's  sisters,  always  envious  of  the 
increasing  influence  of  the  Beauharnais,  made  desperate 
efforts  to  prevent  Josephine  from  being  crowned  and 
to  separate  her  from  her  husband.  In  her  defence 
Josephine  is  said  to  have  lodged  a  direct  accusation 
against  the  beautiful  Pauline  Borghese,  at  which 
Napoleon  was  rightly  very  indignant,  aimed  as  it  was 
at  himself  as  well.  He  declared  to  Josephine  that  he 
was  going  to  separate  from  her,  that  sooner  or  later  he 
would  have  to  do  so,  and  that  she  had  better  resign 
herself  at  once  to  it.  At  the  same  time  he  summoned 
Eugene  and  Hortense,  his  two  adopted  children,  and 
notified  to  them  this  resolve.  Josephine's  enemies, 
availing  themselves  cleverly  of  some  indiscreet  remarks 
which  she  had  let  fall  in  a  momentary  outburst  of 
anger  against  their  calumnies,  had  reason  to  think  at 
one  time  that  they  were  going  to  carry  the  day.  But 
Josephine  and  her  children,  by  their  dignified  and 
saddened  demeanour,  ended  by  triumphing  over  all 
these  manoeuvres.  In  short.  Napoleon,  rejecting  advice 
and  insinuations  the  object  of  which  was  transparent, 
embraced  his  wife  and  declared  his  will  that  she  should 
be  crowned  at  his  side  by  the  venerable  Pius  VII. 

The  Pope,  who  had  left  Rome  on  the  2nd  of 
November,  made  his  entry  into  Paris  at  mid-day  on 
the  25th  of  the  same  month.  The  Empress  Josephine 
received  His  Holiness  the  same  day  in  great  state  on 
the  threshold  of  the  peristyle  of  the  Tuileries.  M. 
Aubenas  relates  that  the  Holy  Father  was  touched  by 
the  pious  and  tender  respect  of  the  empress'  greeting. 

102 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

From  this  first  moment,  he  adds,  the  Pope  conceived 
a  fatherly  interest  for  her,  proofs  of  which  she  soon 
received  at  his  hands. 

The  reader  has  seen  that  at  the  time  of  Josephine's 
marriage  to  General  Bonaparte  in  1796,  the  celebration 
of  a  religious  marriage  had  unfortunately  been  neglected. 
The  empress  had  always  secretly  regrette4  this  and 
rightly  thought  therefore  that  the  moment  had  now 
come  to  retrieve  this  grave  error.  She  broached  the 
subject  in  confidence  to  the  Holy  Father,  who  appeared 
greatly  shocked  and  strongly  urged  Napoleon  to  put 
an  end,  before  the  coronation,  to  a  state  of  affairs  so 
reprehensible  and  so  irregular  from  the  Church's  point 
of  view.  The  Pope,  as  can  be  easily  understood,  re- 
mained inflexible  on  this  point,  and  made  it  a  condition 
of  the  consecration. 

Napoleon,  though  hei  had  put  aside  the  idea  of 
divorce  as  premature,  had  nevertheless  no  intention  of 
committing  himself  as  to  the  future.  He  had  a  sort 
of  undefined  presentiment  that  certain  circumstances 
might  later  on  render  this  painful  eventuality  necessary. 
The  new  Caesar  was  therefore  much  annoyed  by 
Josephine's  action  in  approaching  Pius  VII,  and  took 
her  severely  to  task  for  having  done  so.  Perhaps  he 
also  felt  himself  humiliated  by  such  a  confession,  and 
therefore  wounded  in  his  pride,  before  the  common 
Father  of  the  Faithful.  Josephine  on  the  contrary 
was  much  gratified  at  the  success  of  her  efforts,  and, 
on  the  very  night  before  the  Coronation,  her  union 
with  Napoleon  received  religious  consecration. 

Cardinal   Fesch    officiated    at   the  Tuileries  in   the 

103 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

greatest  secrecy,  and  in  the  presence  of  Talleyrand  and 
Berthier  gave  his  blessing  to  Napoleon's  marriage  with 
Josephine,  whose  face  still  bore  on  the  following  day 
the  traces  of  her  emotion. 

If  Josephine  set  any  store  by  her  elevation  and  by 
the  greatness  she  had  never  sought,  it  was  chiefly  on 
account  of  her  children  who  were  the  very  end  of  her 
existence. 

M.  Aubenas  describes  for  us  as  follows  the  dress 
and  the  jewelry  in  which  the  Empress  Josephine  was 
arrayed  on  the  day  of  the  coronation.  '  The  empress 
wore  a  magnificent  dress  of  silver  brocade,  with  a  long 
train,  worked  with  golden  bees,  ornamented  in  front 
with  foliage  richly  embroidered  in  gold  thread  and 
trimmed  round  the  edge  with  a  wide  fringe  and  a 
flounce  similarly  embroidered  ;  the  shoulders  only 
were  uncovered  ;  long  sleeves  with  gold  embroidery 
and  enriched  towards  their  upper  end  with  diamonds 
enveloped  the  arms  and  covered  half  the  hand.  It 
required  all  Josephine's  art  and  innate  grace  not  to  lose 
anything  of  her  elegance  and  dignity  with  this  garment, 
fashioned  in  accordance  with  the  taste  of  the  period, 
without  fullness  and  without  shape,  and  enriched 
besides  with  the  Medicis  strawberry  in  gold-embroidered 
lace,  which  had  been  added  in  order  that  the  dress 
might  harmonise  in  some  historic  detail  with  Napoleon's 
renaissance  costume.  A  gold  riband  ornamented  with 
thirty-nine  rose-coloured  stones  fastened  this  robe- 
tunique  beneath  the  bosom.  Her  taste  for  antique 
jewelry  betrayed  itself  in  the  engraved  precious  stones 
of  which  her  bracelets,  her  ear-rings  and  her  necklace 

104 


I 


^.  * 


THE  EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

were  composed.  Lastly  her  beautiful  and  luxuriant 
hair  was  encircled  and  confined  by  a  superb  diadem, 
the  work  of  M.  Marguerite,  who  had  also  supplied 
the  crown  the  empress  was  to  receive  at  Notre-Dame, 
where,  like  Napoleon,  she  had  to  complete  her  toilet 
by  fastening  round  her  shoulders,  with  a  golden  cord 
and  diamond  clasp,  the  imperial  mantle.'  ^ 

We  may  borrow  some  further  details  regarding  the 
empress  from  the  same  author. 

'  Cardinal  Cambaceres  awaited  the  empress  at  the 
door,  to  offer  her  the  holy  water  and  to  congratulate 
her.  After  a  short  speech  she  took  her  place  under  a 
canopy  carried  by  the  canons  of  the  metropolitan 
chapter  and  continued  her  way  towards  the  sanctuary 
accompanied  by  her  introducer.  Her  head  was 
already  adorned  with  a  diadem  formed  of  four  rows  of 
pearls  of  the  first  water,  interlaced  with  foliage  in 
diamonds,  which  culminated  in  four  magnificent 
diamonds  on  her  forehead.     Her  long  mantle  of  red 

*  Aubenas,  vol.  ii,  p.  277.  Memoires  de  Mademoiselle  George,  in 
accordance  with  the  original  manuscript,  by  Mons.  P.  A.  Cheramy, 
1908.  The  Coronation  Day  :  *  The  Emperor  was  calm  and  smiling, 
while  the  Empress  Josephine  was  a  marvel  to  everyone,  displaying  as 
always  a  perfect  taste  in  her  dress  ;  she  herself  ever  full  of  nobility, 
ever  with  that  kindly  expression  on  her  face  that  attracted  one  to 
her.  She  was,  beneath  her  fine  clothes,  the  simplest  and  most 
enchanting  of  women.  The  diadem  was  carried  with  such  grace 
that  its  weight  did  not  seem  to  trouble  her.  She  greeted  her 
subject?  so  kindly  and  encouragingly  that  she  won  the  sympathies  of 
all.  She  was  not  wanting  in  dignity,  but  her  smile  attracted 
one,  and  made  one  approach  her  without  fear,  in  the  con- 
fidence that  she  would  not  repulse  you.  Indeed  she  was  a  really 
good  woman.  Greatness  had  not  changed  her  :  she  was  at  once 
clever  and  warmhearted.  What  a  misfortune  was  the  Emperor's 
divorce  both  for  France  and  for  himself.' 

105 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

velvet,  worked  with  golden  bees  and  entirely  lined 
with  ermine,  was  carried  by  the  princesses,  Joseph, 
Louis,  Elisa,  Pauline  and  Caroline,  likewise  arrayed  in 
court  mantles  and  covered  with  dazzling  jewelry. 
Then  followed,  in  one  group,  the  lady-in-waiting,  the 
lady  of  the  bed-chamber,  and  the  other  ladies  of  the 
imperial  household.' 

In  order  to  complete  the  description  of  this  impres- 
sive coronation  ceremony  and  to  reproduce  a  faithful 
picture  of  it  for  the  reader's  benefit,  it  would  be  a 
mistake,  we  think,  not  to  refer  to  the  accounts  given 
by  eye-witnesses  of  this  memorable  event.  Mme. 
d'Abrantes  has  related  the  particulars  in  such  felicitous 
language  that  we  cannot  do  better  than  quote  in 
extenso  the  passage  referring  to  the  auspicious  occasion. 

*  When  the  time  arrived  for  her  (Josephine)  to  take 
an  active  part  in  the  great  drama,'  writes  Junot's  wife, 
'  the  empress  descended  from  the  throne  and  advanced 
towards  the  altar  where  the  emperor  was  awaiting  her, 
followed  by  the  ladies  of  the  imperial  household  and 
her  whole  suite,  her  mantle  being  carried  by  the 
princesses  Caroline,  Julie,  Elisa  and  Louis.  One  of 
the  principal  charms  of  the  Empress  Josephine  lay,  not 
merely  in  the  elegance  of  her  figure,  but  in  the  way  she 
carried  her  head,  the  graceful  and  at  the  same  time 
queenly  manner  she  had  of  turning  it  and  of  walking. 
I  have  had  the  honour  of  being  presented  to  many 
real  princesses,  according  to  the  term  used  in  the 
faubourg  St  Germain^  and  I  must  candidly  confess  that 
I  have  never  met  any  who  impressed  me  more  than 
did  Josephine.     She  possessed  elegance  combined  with 

io6 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

majesty  ;  and  furthormore,  once  she  had  donned  her 
imperial  mantle,  one  might  look  in  vain  for  the 
volatile  woman  of  the  world ;  she  was  absolutely 
decorous  in  all  her  behaviour  and  never  did  queen 
understand  better  how  to  grace  a  throne  without 
having  been  taught.  I  saw  all  that  I  have  been  saying 
in  Napoleon's  eyes.  It  delighted  him  to  see  the 
empress  advancing  towards  him  ;  and  when  she  knelt 
and  the  tears  she  could  not  repress  rolled  down  over 
her  folded  hands,  which  she  raised  rather  towards 
him  than  towards  God,  at  this  moment  when 
Napoleon  was  for  her  veritably  her  providence,  there 
fell  to  the  lot  of  these  two  beings  one  of  those  fleeting 
moments,  unique  in  a  whole  life  time,  which  fill  the 
void  of  many  long  years.  The  emperor  displayed 
a  perfect  grace  even  in  the  most  insignificant  acts  he 
had  to  perform  during  the  ceremony,  but  this  was 
especially  noticeable  when  he  had  to  crown  the 
empress.  This  action  had  to  be  accomplished  by 
the  emperor,  who,  after  receiving  the  small  closed 
crown  surmounted  by  a  cross  which  was  to  be  placed 
on  Josephine's  head,  had  first  to  put  it  on  his  own 
head  and  then  set  it  on  that  of  the  empress.  He 
carried  out  these  two  movements  with  a  leisurely  grace 
that  was  truly  remarkable.  But  when  the  actual 
moment  at  last  arrived  for  him  to  crown  her  who  was 
for  him,  according  to  his  conception,  his  lucky  star^  he 
coquetted  ^ith  her,  if  I  may  be  permitted  the  expression. 
He  arranged  the  small  crown,  which  surmounted  the 
diamond  diadem,  by  placing  it  on  her  head,  taking  it  ojflb. 
and  replacing  it  again  ;  it  seemed  as  if  he  meant  to 

107 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

promise  her  that  the  crown  would  be  easy  and  light ! 
The  various  fine  nuances  of  this  incident  must 
have  been  lost  upon  persons  at  a  distance  from  the 
altar.  Doubtless  it  has  been  related,  because  other 
eyes  besides  mine  saw  it  just  as  I  was  able  to 
see  it ;  still  few  were  placed  so  well  as  I  was,  and  my 
position  revealed  many  things  to  me  during  those 
marvellous  hours,  which  are  now  looked  upon  by 
most  people  as  little  more  than  a  fairy  tale.'  ^ 

After  the  prolonged  and  solemn  ceremony  of  the 
coronation,  a  herald  advanced  to  the  edge  of  the 
platform  and  proclaimed,  in  accordance  with  ancient 
custom  :  '  The  most  glorious  and  most  august 
Emperor  Napoleon,  Emperor  of  the  French,  is 
crowned  and  enthroned.  Long  live  the  Emperor  I ' 
The  resounding  acclamations  of  the  assembly  greeted 
this  announcement,  and  salvos  of  artillery  blazoned 
abroad  the  proclamation  of  Napoleon  and  of  Josephine. 

'  Finally,'  writes  M.  Aubenas,  ^  at  seven  o'clock 
the  imperial  procession  re-entered  the  Tuileries.  The 
emperor  hastened  to  change  into  his  simple  uniform 
of  colonel  of  his  own  regiment  of  chasseurs  of  the 
guard.  Josephine  was  also  longing  for  repose,  but 
she  returned  radiant  with  happiness  to  this  palace  from 
which  they  had  wanted  to  turn  her  out,  not  because 
she  re-entered  it  wearing  the  crown  predicted  for  her 
in  childhood,  but  because  she  thought  herself  now 
linked  indissolubly  to  the  man  she  loved  above 
all  else.'t 

*  Memoires  de  la  duchesse  d^Abrantes^  vol.  vii,  p.  260. 
t  Aubenas,  vol.  ii. 

1 08 


CHAPTER   X 

Presents,  congratulations  and  demonstrations  of 
affection  of  all  sorts  were  showered  upon  Josephine 
after  her  coronation,  and  the  Municipal  Council  of 
Paris  offered  her  a  magnificent  gold-mounted  toilet 
table.  Martinique  also,  her  native  island,  gave 
expression  on  this  occasion  to  its  feelings  of  joy  and 
pride,  due  to  the  added  greatness  acquired  by  one  of 
its  daughters.  Madame  de  la  Pagerie,  mother  of  the 
new  empress,  received  simultaneously  at  Fort-de- 
France  her  share  in  the  honours  and  ovations 
accorded  to  Josephine. 

The  year  1805,  one  of  the  most  glorious  in 
Napoleon's  career,  had  begun  well  for  Josephine's 
son.  Already  appointed  colonel-in-chief,  he  had 
hardly  started  for  Milan,  where  he  was  to  join  the 
emperor,  before  he  was  awarded  the  titles  of  prince 
of  the  empire  and  high-chancellor  of  State.  This 
proof  of  affection  touched  Josephine  profoundly, 
but  did  not  alter  in  any  way  the  modesty  and 
quiet  simplicity  of  Prince  Eugene,  certainly  one  of 
the  noblest  figures  at  the  commencement  of  the 
nineteenth    century.       Mme.    d'Abrantes    has    given 

109 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

the    following    portrait    of    Josephine's    son    in    his 
early  youth  : 

'  Eugene  gave  promise  of  being  what  he  became,  a 
charming  and  lovable  boy.  His  whole  bearing  was 
stamped  with  an  air  of  distinction  the  more  attractive 
because  it  was  coupled  with  qualities  that  rarely  go 
with  it,  namely,  frankness  and  an  unvarying  good 
humour.  He  was  as  merry  as  a  child,  but  his 
merriment  would  never  be  aroused  by  anything  that 
was  in  bad  taste.  He  was  lovable  and  courteous, 
extremely  polite  without  being  obsequious,  and 
ironical  without  being  rude,  a  lost  talent.  He  acted 
very  well,  sang  exquisitely,  danced  as  his  father  had 
danced,  and  was  altogether  a  very  charming  young 
man.' 

Eugene  had  a  special  predilection  for  the  military 
profession  and  for  this  reason  he  had  refused  on  a 
previous  occasion  the  appointment  of  high  chamberlain, 
which  his  step-father  had  offered  him. 

The  emperor  and  empress  had  already  started  for 
Italy  at  the  beginning  of  April,  directing  their  steps  to 
Milan,  where  Napoleon  was  going  to  assume  the  iron 
crown  of  the  ancient  Lombard  Kings.  To  his  title  of 
emperor  he  was  going  to  unite  that  of  King  of  Italy, 
and  to  confer,  on  the  7th  of  June  1805,  ^^^  functions 
of  viceroy  on  his  step-son.  This  signal  favour, 
accorded  to  a  member  of  the  Beauharnais  family,  must 
have  been  a  cause  of  bitter  annoyance  to  those  of  the 
Bonaparte  family  who  detested  them  ;  but  it  made 
Josephine  supremely  proud  and  happy  to  see  her  son 
appreciated  as  highly  as  he  deserved. 

no 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

At  this  juncture  Austria,  ill-pleased  and  uneasy  at 
the  seizure  of  Italy  by  Napoleon^  as  well  as  at  the 
formidable  increase  in  the  power  of  France,  did  not 
remain  insensible  to  the  admonitions  of  England. 
This  last  power  was  also  uneasy  at  the  vast  preparations 
of  the  camp  of  Boulogne,  which  were  being  directed 
against  her,  and  strained  every  nerve  to  create  a  counter 
diversion  by  stirring  up  the  Continental  powers  against 
the  new  sovereign  of  France.^  Napoleon,  abandoning 
with  regret  this  gigantic  enterprise,  found  himself 
under  the  necessity  of  actively  confronting  new  dangers. 
This  time  it  was  no  longer  Austria  alone  that  he  had 
to  meet,  but  Austria  supported  by  Russia.  We  have 
neither  the  intention  nor  the  presumption  to  give  an 
account  of  this  immortal  campaign,  of  which  various 
authors  have  written  with  a  special  knowledge  we  do 
not  possess,  a  campaign  which  ended  with  the  thunder- 
clap of  Austerlitz. 

Josephine's  r61e  was  necessarily  thrown  into  the  shade 
during  this  period  of  war  and  victories,  and  does  not 
furnish  much  material  for  the  biographer.  She  contented 
herself  with  obeying  the  advice  given  her  by  her 
husband  in  a  series  of  affectionate  but  brief  epistles. 
He  wrote  her  the  following  short  note  from  Mannheim 
on  the  2nd  of  October  : 

*  I  am  still  here,  in  good  health.  I  am  leaving  for 
Stuttgart  where  I  shall  arrive  this  evening.  The  great 
manoeuvres  are  commencing.  The  army  of  Wtlrtem- 
berg  and  Baden  is  joining  mine.  I  am  in  a  favorable 
position  and  1  love  you. 

'^'^^  'Napoleon.* 

Ill 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

After  ten  years  of  married  life  one  must  not  of  course 
expect  passionate  letters  like  those  of  the  first  Italian 
campaign.  One  cannot  fail  to  observe,  nevertheless,  how 
solid  and  sincere  Napoleon's  attachment  to  his  wife  has 
become  in  spite  of  passing  storms.  The  ending  of  this 
note  *  and  I  love  you '  is  more  significant  than  any  set 
phrases. 

On  the  4th  of  October  the  emperor  wrote  to  Josephine 
from  Ludwigsburg,  the  summer  residence  of  the 
Elector  of  WUrtemberg,  whom  a  little  later  on  he 
created  a  king  : 

'  1  am  at  Ludwigsburg.  No  new  events  of  importance 
have  happened  yet.  My  whole  army  is  in  marching 
order.  The  weather  is  splendid.  My  junction  with  the 
Bavarians  is  accomplished.  I  am  in  good  health.  I 
hope  to  have  something  interesting  to  write  you  in  a  few 
days.  Take  care  of  yourself  and  do  not  forget  I  am 
always  thinking  of  you.  There  is  a  very  brilliant  court 
here,  a  very  lovely  newly  married  bride,  and  altogether 
some  very  charming  people  ;  amongst  them  I  count 
even  our  Electress,  who  seems  a  most  excellent  person 
in  spite  of  her  being  the  daughter  of  the  King  of 
England.' 

The  daughter  of  the  sovereign  of  Wttrtemberg 
was  later  on  to  wed  J^r6me  Bonaparte,  afterwards 
King  of  Westphalia,  the  youngest  of  Napoleon's 
brothers,  and  grandfather,  as  we  know,  of  the  Princes 
Victor  and  Louis  Bonaparte. 

On  the  following  day,  the  5th  of  October,  the 
emperor  again  wrote  Josephine  as  follows  : 

'  I  am  just  starting  again  on  my  march.     You  will, 

112 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

my  dearest,  be  five  or  six  days  without  hearing  from 
me  ;  do  not  be  anxious  on  this  account,  as  it  is 
a  necessary  consequence  of  the  operations  that  are 
about  to  be  carried  out.  Everything  is  going  on  well, 
and  quite  in  accordance  with  my  anticipations.  I  have 
been  present  here  at  a  wedding  between  the  Elector's 
son  and  a  niece  of  the  King  of  Prussia.  I  want  to 
give  a  present  of  thirty-six  to  forty  thousand  francs 
to  the  young  princess.  Please  order  one  for  me  and 
send  it  by  one  of  my  chamberlains  to  the  bride,  when 
the)'  come  to  rejoin  me.  It  must  be  done  at  once. 
Goodbye,  my  dearest,  I  love  you  and  embrace  you.' 

We  may  be  sure  that  presents  of  this  kind,  chosen 
by  Josephine,  could  not  but  be  in  perfect  taste,  and 
would  probably  therefore  give  real  satisfaction  to  the 
recipients. 

Five  or  six  days  later,  he  sends  the  empress 
another  letter  : 

'  I  stayed  last  night  with  the  former  Elector  of 
Treves,  who  has  a  most  comfortable  house.  For  the 
last  week  I  have  been  on  the  march.  Some  rather 
important  successes  have  opened  the  campaign.  I  am 
in  excellent  health,  though  it  is  raining  every  day. 
Events  are  following  each  other  in  quick  succession. 
I  have  sent  to  France  four  thousand  prisoners  and 
eight  flags,  and  have  captured  fourteen  of  the  enemy's 
guns.     Goodbye,  my  dearest,  I  embrace  you.' 

Fortune  smiled  on  Napoleon,  for  the  capitulation 
of  Ulm  was  now  imminent.  The  emperor  was  indeed 
soon  able  to  write  : 

'  My  army  has  entered   Munich.     The  enemy  on 

H  113 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

one  side  is  beyond  the  Inn  ;  the  other  army  of  sixty 
thousand  men  I  am  blocking  on  the  lUer,  between 
Ulm  and  Memmingen.  Our  enemies  are  beaten 
and  have  lost  their  heads.  Everything  points  to 
a  most  fortunate  campaign,  the  shortest  and  the  most 
brilliant  which  has  taken  place.  I  am  leaving  in 
an  hour  for  Burgau  on  the  Iller.  I  am  keeping  well, 
but  the  weather  is  horrible.  It  is  raining  so  much 
that  I  have  to  change  my  clothes  twice  a  day.  I  love 
you  and  embrace  you.' 

After  seven  days'  silence  employed  in  turning  the 
flank  of  General  Mack  and  his  army  and  shutting 
them  up  in  Ulm,  Napoleon  had  the  satisfaction  of 
seeing  his  optimistic  anticipations  confirmed,  and  he 
announces  the  news  to  Josephine  in  these  terms  : 

'  I  have  been  more  fatigued,  my  dear  Josephine, 
than  I  ought  to  have  been  ;  wet  through  from  morn- 
ing to  night  every  day  for  a  whole  week,  and  cold 
feet  have  given  me  some  trouble  ;  but  I  have  not 
been  out  to-day  and  am  rested.  I  have  accomplished 
my  purpose  ;  I  have  destroyed  the  Austrian  army 
by  simple  marches  ;  I  have  made  sixty  thousand 
prisoners  and  captured  twenty  cannon,  over  ninety 
flags  and  more  than  thirty  generals.  I  am  now  going 
to  attack  the  Russians  ;  they  are  lost.  I  am  satisfied 
with  my  army.  I  have  only  lost  fifteen  hundred 
men,  of  whom  two-thirds  only  slightly  wounded. 
Goodbye,  my  dear  Josephine  ;  a  thousand  loving 
greetings.  Prince  Charles  is  going  to  cover  Vienna. 
I  think  Massena  must  be  now  arriving  at  Vienna. 
As  soon  as  my  mind  is  easy  about  Italy,  I  wiU  send 

114 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Eugene  to  the  front.  A  thousand  greetings  to 
Hortense.' 

A  little  later  on  Napoleon  wrote  Josephine  from 
inside  Ulm  : 

'  I  am  in  pretty  good  health,  my  dearest  ;  I  am  just 
leaving  for  Augsburg.  I  have  made  thirty-three 
thousand  men  here  lay  down  their  arms.  I  have  taken 
sixty  to  seventy  thousand  prisoners,  more  than  ninety 
flags  and  more  than  two  hundred  cannon.  Never  has 
there  been  a  like  catastrophe  in  the  annals  of  war  ! 
Take  good  care  of  yourself.  I  am  a  little  worried. 
The  weather  has  been  lovely  for  the  last  three 
days.  The  first  column  of  prisoners  starts  to-day 
for  France.  Each  column  comprises  six  thousand 
men.' 

Josephine,  during  this  period,  had  approached  as 
near  as  possible  to  the  theatre  of  war.  She  had  gone 
to  Strasburg  to  await  the  result,  and  wrote  a  reassur- 
ing letter  from  this  city  to  her  daughter  Hortense 
dated  the  22  nd  October  : 

'  My  dear  Hortense, — I  had  promised  Prince  Joseph, 
who  wrote  me  a  very  polite  letter,  to  send  him  a 
courier  as  soon  as  I  received  any  news.  I  was  able 
yesterday  to  fulfil  my  promise.  M.  de  Thiars  wrote 
me,  by  the  emperor's  orders,  all  the  particulars 
of  our  victories,  and  I  have  had  the  news  passed  on  to 
Prince  Joseph.  I  have  asked  him  to  inform  you  and 
your  husband  also  of  everything.  One  triumph  follows 
another,  and  to-day  I  have  a  letter  from  the  emperor.  I 
send  it  you  and  am  sure  it  will  give  you  as  much  pleasure 
as  it  has  me.     Please  keep  it  and  let  me  have  it  back 

115 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

on  my  return.  All  the  members  of  the  emperor's 
household  are  in  good  health.  Not  a  single  general 
has  been  wounded.  You  can  tell  this  news  to  all  the 
ladies  whose  husbands  are  with  the  army.  On 
Thursday  a  Te  Deum  will  be  sung,  and  I  shall  give 
a  fete  on  the  same  day  to  the  ladies  of  Strasburg. 
Goodbye  my  dear  Hortense,  I  love  and  embrace  you 
fondly.  My  kindest  regards  to  your  husband  and 
kisses  to  the  children.' 

By  this  time  the  Emperor  Napoleon  had  reached 
Munich,  where  he  was  able  to  take  some  rest,  but 
where  he  also  received  the  news  that  Josephine  was  in 
a  very  nervous  state.  She  was  indeed  always  full  of 
anxiety  for  those  dear  to  her  and  absorbed  in  thinking 
of  the  dangers  to  which  they  were  exposed.  Napoleon 
shewed  his  sympathy  by  writing  her  a  letter,  somewhat 
less  brief  than  the  preceding  ones,  dated  the  27th  of 
October  : 

'  1  have  received  your  letter  through  le  Marois.  I 
am  sorry  to  see  that  you  have  been  making  yourself 
too  anxious.  Details  have  been  given  me  which  prove 
to  me  the  depth  of  your  affection  for  me  ;  but  you 
must  display  more  courage  and  more  confidence.  I 
warned  you  that  I  would  be  six  days  without  writmg 
you. 

'  I  am  expecting  the  Elector  to-morrow.  I  start  at 
midday  to  assure  the  success  of  my  march  on  the  Inn. 
My  health  is  fairly  good.  You  must  not  think  of 
crossing  the  Rhine  for  another  fifteen  or  twenty  days. 
You  must  keep  your  spirits  up  and  enjoy  yourself,  and 
just  hope  that  we  may  see  each  other  before  the  end  of 

116 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

the    month.     I    am    advancing    against    the    Russian 
army  ;  in  a  few  days  I  shall  have  crossed  the  Inn. 

*  Goodbye,  my  dearest  one.  My  kindest  regards  to 
Hortense,  Eugene  and  the  two  Napoleons.*  Keep 
the  wedding  present  in  the  meantime. 

'  Yesterday  I  gave  a  concert  to  the  ladies  of  this 
court.  The  band-conductor  is  a  talented  musician. 
I  have  been  shooting  pheasants  on  the  Elector's 
preserves.  You  see  I  am  not  so  very  tired.  Mons. 
de  Talleyrand  has  arrived.* 

In  addition  to  the  anxieties  which  she  could  not  but 
undergo  owing  to  the  vicissitudes  of  the  war,  anxieties 
experienced  at  one  time  on  her  son's  account,  at 
another  on  that  of  her  husband,  sometimes  for  both  at 
once,  Josephine  feared  also  the  dangers  of  absence. 
It  was  no  longer  Napoleon,  at  this  period,  who  gave 
signs  of  jealousy  ;  the  r61es  had  changed  and  it  was 
Josephine  now  who  could  not  succeed  in  disguising 
hers.  The  empress  realised  the  drawbacks  which 
must  arise  for  her  from  any  sort  of  separation,  even 
the  briefest.  Indeed,  whenever  Napoleon  parted 
company  from  her,  she  would  always  have  liked 
to  follow  or  accompany  him.  Then  neither  fatigues 
nor  privations  deterred  her.  During  the  rapid 
and  frequent  journeys  which  Napoleon  undertook, 
Josephine  employed  importunity  and  even  cunning  in 
order  to  follow  him.  Evidence  of  this  is  found  in  the 
Memorial : 

'  If  I  went  out  driving  in  the  middle  of  the  night, 
I  found  Josephine  to  my  great  surprise  installed  in  the 
*  The  two  sons  of  Louis  Bonaparte  and  Hortense. 
117 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

carriage,  although  she  was  not  intended  to  accompany 
me  .  .  .  and  generally  I  had  to  give  in  ! ' 

In  all  her  letters  to  the  emperor  during  the  course 
of  this  campaign  the  empress  asked  to  be  allowed 
to  join  him.  Napoleon  did  not  take  much  notice  of 
these  requests  and  always  avoided  giving  any  positive 
answer.  '  1  should  have  been  very  glad  to  see  you,' 
he  writes  to  Josephine,  'but  do  not  count  on  my 
asking  you  to  come,  unless  there  is  an  armistice  or  we 
go  into  winter  quarters.  Good-bye,  my  dearest,  a 
thousand  kisses.' 

While  pursuing  the  Russians,  who  in  conjunction 
with  the  remains  of  the  Austrian  forces  were 
endeavouring  to  protect  Vienna  against  the  efforts  of 
the  Grand  Army,  Napoleon  wrote  to  the  empress  a 
little  later  on  : 

*  1  am  at  Lintz  ;  the  weather  is  fine.  We  are 
twenty-eight  leagues  from  Vienna.  The  Russians  are 
not  holding  their  ground.  They  are  in  full  retreat. 
The  Austrian  royal  family  is  in  great  embarrassment. 
At  Vienna  all  the  Court  baggage  is  being  removed. 
It  is  probable  that  there  will  be  fresh  news  in  Rve  or 
six  days.  I  am  longing  to  see  you  again.  My  health 
is  good.     1  embrace  you.* 

At  last,  on  the  1 3th  of  November,  Napoleon  reached 
Vienna,  whence  he  wrote  to  the  empress  to  announce 
this  great  news  to  her  as  if  it  were  quite  a  simple 
and  natural  thing  ;  no  trace  is  to  be  found  in  this 
letter  of  vainglory  nor  even  of  legitimate  pride.  The 
equilibrium  of  his  faculties  was  still  perfect,  and 
Napoleon  was  at  this  time  not  suffering  in  the  least 

118 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

from  any  overweening  idea  of  his  own  glory.  Three 
days  after  the  entry  of  the  French  army  into  Vienna, 
the  emperor  communicated  to  Josephine  his  wish  that 
she  should  proceed  to  Munich,  where  she  would  find 
a  fine  palace  and  a  hearty  reception  while  awaiting  the 
moment  of  their  meeting.  We  think  this  letter, 
dated  the  1 6th  of  November,  is  worth  quoting  in  its 
entirety,  as  it  is  characteristic  : 

^Vienna,  25th  Brumaire,  Year  xiv. 

'I  am  writing  to  M.  d'Harville  to  arrange  for 
your  journey  to  Baden,  thence  to  Stuttgart,  and  thence 
on  to  Munich.  At  Stuttgart  please  give  Princess 
Paul  her  wedding-present.  It  need  not  cost  more 
than  fifteen  to  twenty  thousand  francs  ;  the  remainder 
will  serve  for  presents  to  the  daughters  of  the  Elector 
of  Bavaria  at  Munich.  Bring  with  you  sufficient  to 
enable  you  to  make  presents  to  the  ladies  and  officers 
who  will  be  in  attendance  on  you.  Be  polite  but 
receive  the  homage  of  all  :  they  owe  you  everything 
and  you  owe  them  nothing  but  politeness. 

*  The  Electress  of  Wtlrtemberg  is  the  daughter  of 
the  King  of  England  :  she  is  a  good  woman  and  you 
should  treat  her  well,  but  without  aflFectation. 

'  I  shall  be  very  pleased  to  see  you  as  soon  as  my 
duties  allow  of  my  doing  so.  I  am  leaving  for  my 
advance  guard.  The  weather  is  awful :  it  is  snowing 
hard  ;  otherwise  my  affairs  are  prospering.  Good-bye, 
my  dearest. 

'Napoleon.' 

At  all  the  residences  of  the  petty  German  sovereigns 

119 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

on  her  route  Josephine's  winning  manners,  her 
gracious  affability,  her  tact  and  innate  kindness  of 
disposition  gained  for  her  the  sympathies  of  all.  She 
seemed  to  have  been  created  and  sent  into  the  world 
for  the  express  purpose  of  playing  the  high  r61e  that 
had  been  assigned  to  her  to  the  greatest  perfection. 
During  her  whole  journey  the  empress  had  every 
description  of  homage  and  adulation  lavished  upon 
her  ;  in  truth  the  brilliant  fortunes  of  her  husband  and 
the  fear  they  inspired  contributed  largely  to  this. 

On  the  2nd  of  December,  the  anniversary  of  the 
coronation  of  Napoleon  and  Josephine,  the  emperor 
gained  the  famous  and  decisive  victory  of  Austerlitz 
over  the  Austro-Russian  army. 


120 


CHAPTER   XI 

In  the  meantime  the  Empress  Josephine  had  arrived 
at  Munich,  where  the  Elector  of  Bavaria,  Maximilian 
Joseph,  had  reason  to  congratulate  himself  that  he  had 
not  taken  part  against  Napoleon.  This  determination 
had  been  come  to  by  the  Bavarian  sovereign  only 
after  prolonged  and  painful  hesitation.  Some 
further  letters  addressed  by  Napoleon  to  Josephine 
deserve  quotation,  deriving  as  they  do  a  special 
interest  from  the  dates  on  which  they  were  written. 
The  first  is  dated  from  Austerlitz  on  the  3rd  December 
1805: 

'  I  have  despatched  Lebrun  to  you  from  the  battle- 
field. I  have  beaten  the  Russian  and  Austrian  army 
under  the  command  of  the  two  Emperors.  I  am 
somewhat  fatigued ;  I  have  bivouacked  for  a 
week  in  the  open  air  and  the  nights  have  been 
pretty  cold.  To-night  I  am  staying  in  the  Chateau 
of  the  Prince  of  Kaunitz,  where  I  am  going  to 
sleep  for  two  or  three  hours.  The  Russian  army 
is  not  only  beaten,  it  is  destroyed.  I  embrace 
you.' 

Another  letter  from  Austerlitz  : 

121 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

*  5th  December 

^  I  have  concluded  a  truce.  The  Russians  are  going. 
The  battle  of  Austerlitz  is  one  of  my  greatest  victories  : 
forty-five  flags,  more  than  a  hundred  and  Mty  guns, 
the  standards  of  the  Russian  guards,  twenty  generals, 
thirty  thousand  prisoners,  more  than  twenty  thousand 
killed.     A  horrible  spectacle  ! 

'  The  Emperor  Alexander  is  in  despair  and  is  leaving 
for  Russia.  I  met  the  Emperor  of  Germany  yesterday 
at  my  quarters  ;  we  chatted  for  two  hours  ;  we  have 
agreed  to  make  peace  without  delay. 

'The  weather  is  not  very  bad  yet.  Well,  at  last 
peace  has  been  restored  to  the  Continent ;  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  it  will  soon  be  restored  to  the  world,  the 
English  will  hardly  dare  to  oppose  us.  I  am  looking 
forward  to  the  moment  when  I  shall  be  again  at  your 
side.  Good-bye,  my  dearest,  I  am  keeping  pretty 
well,  and  am  longing  to  embrace  you.' 

Another  letter,  dated  7th  December,  from  Auster- 
litz : 

'  I  have  concluded  an  armistice  ;  in  a  week  peace 
will  be  settled.  I  am  anxious  to  hear  that  you  have 
arrived  at  Munich  in  good  health.  The  Russians  are 
going.  They  have  suffered  immense  losses  ;  more 
than  twenty  thousand  dead  and  thirty  thousand  taken 
prisoners.  Their  army  is  reduced  to  a  quarter  of  its 
numbers.  Buxhowden,  their  general  in  command,  is 
killed.  I  have  three  thousand  wounded  and  seven  to 
eight  hundred  dead. 

'  1  am  suffering  slightly  from  sore  eyes  ;  the  com- 

122 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

plaint    is    very  prevalent  but    is    of  no    importance. 
Goodbye,  my  dear,  I  am  anxious  to  see  you  again.' 

During  the  course  of  the  negotiations  for  the  con- 
clusion of  the  peace  of  Pressburg,  Josephine  had  been 
a  considerable  time  without  giving  the  emperor  any 
of  her  news.     This  led  to  his  writing  her  : 

'  It  is  a  very  long  time  since  I  have  received  any 
news  from  you ;  are  the  splendid  festivities  of  Baden, 
Stuttgart  and  Munich  making  you  forget  the  poor 
soldiers  who  are  leading  a  wretched  existence  exposed 
to  wet  and  discomforts,  and  covered  with  mire  and 
blood  ?  I  am  leaving  shortly  for  Vienna.  Efforts  are 
being  made  for  the  conclusion  of  peace.  The  Russians 
have  left  and  are  already  far  away  ;  they  are  returning 
to  Russia  thoroughly  beaten  and  much  humiliated. 
1  am  longing  much  for  your  society.  Goodbye,  my 
dearest,  my  eyes  are  better.* 

Napoleon,  finding  that  Josephine  does  not  answer, 
adopts  the  expedient  of  writing  her  in  an  ironical  tone 
the  following  letter  : 

^  Great  Empress  !  Not  a  single  letter  from  you 
since  you  left  Strassburg.  .  .  .  You  have  visited  Baden, 
Stuttgart  and  Munich  without  writing  us  a  word  ;  it 
is  neither  very  kind  nor  very  affectionate  !  I  am  still 
at  BrUnn.  The  Russians  are  gone  :  there  is  a  truce. 
In  a  few  days  I  shall  know  what  is  going  to  become  of 
me.  Pray  condescend,  from  the  height  of  your 
greatness,  to  take  some  notice  of  your  slaves. 

'  Napoleon.* 

Josephine,  since  she  had  followed  her  husband  on 
the  battle-fields  of  Italy,  had   got    into  the  way  of 

123 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

accompanying  him  everywhere.  She  even  wanted,  it 
will  be  remembered,  to  cross  the  Mediterranean  and 
go  to  Egypt  with  him.  After  the  brilliant  victories  of 
this  short  and  glorious  campaign,  her  dearest  wish 
would  have  been  to  go  and  rejoin  the  emperor  at 
Vienna.  To  a  letter  from  the  empress,  asking  his 
authorisation  for  her  to  start  for  the  capital  of  Austria, 
Napoleon  replied  : 

'  I  have  just  received  your  letter  of  the  25th  ;  I  am 
grieved  to  hear  that  you  are  ailing  ;  that  is  not  a 
promising  condition  for  undertaking  a  journey  of  a 
hundred  leagues  at  this  season.  I  do  not  know  what 
I  am  going  to  do  ;  I  have  no  will  at  the  moment, 
everything  will  depend  on  their  action.  Stay  at 
Munich  and  enjoy  yourself;  that  cannot  be  difficult, 
where  there  are  so  many  pleasant  people  and  in  such  a 
beautiful  country.  For  my  part  I  have  a  great  deal  to 
think  of.  In  a  few  days  I  shall  have  come  to  a 
decision.  Goodbye,  my  dearest,  a  thousand  affectionate 
and  tender  thoughts — N.' 

On  the  26th  of  December  1805  the  peace  of 
Pressburg  was  signed,  and  Napoleon  left  the  following 
day  for  Munich. 

At  Munich,  where  Prince  Eugene  arrived  at  the 
Emperor  Napoleon's  command  on  the  lOth  of  January 
1806,  was  to  be  forged  the  first  link  destined 
to  connect  the  new  imperial  dynasty  with  the  ancient 
reigning  families  of  Europe.  The  fact  is  Josephine's 
husband  had  cast  his  eyes  upon  Princess  Augusta, 
daughter   of  Maximilian    of  Bavaria,    with    the   idea 

124 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

of  marrying  her  to  his  adopted  son.  At  the  same 
time  Napoleon  encouraged  those  concerned  to  hope 
that  the  crown  of  the  kingdom  of  Italy,  which  he 
had  created,  would  belong  some  day,  after  himself, 
to  Prince  Eugene  and  his  descendants.  We  can  easily 
imagine  Josephine's  gratitude  and  pleasure  in  seeing 
such  high  favours  accorded  to  her  dearly  loved  son.* 
None  indeed  could  have  shown  themselves  better 
fitted  for  this  high  position  than  the  man  who, 
without  any  solicitation  bn  his  part  and  in  such  a 
flattering  manner,  was  called  upon  to  occupy  it. 

Josephine  mentioned  the  news  of  this  impending 
marriage  to  her  daughter  Hortense  in  the  following 
terms  : 

^  Munich,  yth  January  1 806. 

'  I  must  not  lose  an  instant,  my  dear  Hortense, 
in  letting  you  know  that  Eugene's  marriage  to  the 
Princess  Augusta,  daughter  of  the  Elector  of  Bavaria, 
has  just  been  definitely  arranged.  You  will  feel 
deeply,  as  I  do,  the  value  of  this  new  proof  of  attach- 
ment which  the  emperor  is  giving  to  your  brother. 
Nothing  in  the  world  could  be  more  agreeable  to 
me  than  this  alliance.  The  young  princess  possesses, 
in  addition  to  a  charming  exterior,  all  the  qualities 
which  render  a  woman  interesting  and  lovable.' 

Napoleon  also  hastened  to  write  to  his  sister-in-law 
and  step-daughter  : 

'  My  daughter, — Eugene  arrives  to-morrow  and  will 
be  married  within  four  days.  I  should  have  been 
very  glad  if  you  could  have  managed  to  be  present  at 
his  wedding,  but  it  is   now  too  late.     The  Princess 

125 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Augusta  is  tall,  beautiful  and  full  of  good  qualities, 
and  you  will  have  a  sister  in  every  respect 
worthy  of  you.  My  kindest  remembrances  to  M. 
Napoleon/ 

A  few  days  later  Prince  Eugene  and  his  bride 
left  for  Milan,  where  they  were  to  reside,  while 
Napoleon  and  Josephine  made  their  preparations  for 
departure  and  left  Munich,  arriving  in  Paris  on  the 
26th  of  January.  Napoleon  had  rapidly  climbed 
the  steps  which  lead  to  universal  sovereignty.  He 
would  have  liked  to  find  in  his  family  a  number  of  young 
princesses  whose  union  with  foreign  princes  he  could 
have  arranged  in  order  to  draw  closer  the  bonds  of 
his  alliance  with  the  reigning  houses  of  different 
states.  Not  finding  what  he  wanted  in  the  Bonaparte 
family,  the  emperor  had  to  look  for  compensation 
in  Josephine's  family,  and  shortly  afterwards  he 
married  Mile.  Stephanie  de  Beauharnais  to  the 
hereditary  Prince  of  Baden.  The  Marquis  Fran9ois 
de  Beauharnais,  Josephine's  brother-in-law,  and  Count 
Claude,  her  first  cousin,  became  simultaneously  the 
personal  recipients  of  the  new  French  monarch's 
favours  and  munificence. 

At  the  same  period  Napoleon  made  his  brother 
Louis  King  of  Holland,  while  Prince  Joseph  Bona- 
parte became,  by  the  same  all-powerful  will.  King 
of  Naples.  A  kingdom  of  Westphalia  was  ere  long 
to  be  created  in  favour  of  Jerome,  the  youngest  of 
Napoleon's  brothers,  as  soon  as  he  had  married  Princess 
Catherine  of  Wtirtemberg. 

Although    flattered  at   seeing  her  children  so  well 

126 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

provided  for,  Josephine,  as  an  affectionate  mother,  was 
depressed  at  her  daughter's  approaching  departure 
for  Holland.  The  unhappy  relations  which  existed 
between  Louis  Bonaparte  and  his  wife  were  also  a 
great  sorrow  to  Josephine  ;  she  bitterly  regretted 
having  so  strongly  insisted,  four  years  ago,  on  her 
tenderly  loved  daughter  contracting  such  an  unfortu- 
nate union. 

On  the  15th  of  July  1806,  the  empress,  distressed 
at  Queen  Hortense's  absence  and  their  enforced 
separation,  wrote  her  as  follows  :  ' 

'  Since  you  left  I  have  been  continually  ailing,  sad 
and  unhappy  ;  I  have  been  obliged  to  keep  my  bed, 
as  I  have  had  some  feverish  attacks.  The  illness  has 
quite  gone,  but  the  grief  remains.  How  can  it  be 
otherwise,  separated  as  I  have  been  from  a  daughter 
like  you,  affectionate,  sweet  and  lovable,  the  joy  of  my 
life  ?  .  .  .  How  is  your  husband  ?  .  ,  .  Are  my 
grandchildren  well  ?  Oh  !  how  sad  I  am  that  I  can 
no  longer  see  them  sometimes  !  And  is  your  own 
health  good,  my  dear  Hor tense  ?  If  you  ever  are  ill, 
let  me  know  ;  I  will  come  at  once  to  be  near  my 
beloved  daughter.  .  .  .  Good-bye,  my  dear  Hortense, 
my  sweet  child,  think  often  of  your  mother  and  be 
assured  there  is  no  daughter  so  dearly  loved  as 
yourself.' 

In  the  meantime,  Prussia,  displeased  at  the  remark- 
able and  ever  increasing  development  of  the  French 
dominion,  began  to  lend  a  willing  ear  to  the  exhorta- 
tions of  England  and  Russia.  This  last  power  was 
eager  to  avenge  the  humiliation  of  its  bloody  defeat  at 

127 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Austerlitz.  The  creation  of  the  kingdoms  founded  in 
favour  of  Napoleon's  brothers  in  the  north  as  well  as 
in  the  south  of  Europe  aggravated  the  feelings  of 
resentment  already  entertained  by  the  Russian  and 
Prussian  governments.  They  therefore  deemed  it 
necessary  to  check  at  all  costs  the  further  progress  of 
the  French  emperor's  growing  preponderance.  It  was 
only  the  brilliant  victory  he  had  gained  at  Austerlitz 
which  had  prevented  Prussia  from  declaring  herself 
against  Napoleon  at  an  earlier  date.  Queen  Louise  and 
the  court  magnates  of  King  Frederick  William,  their 
imaginations  fired  by  the  glorious  recollection  of  the 
great  Frederick,  urged  the  Prussian  monarch  strongly 
to  declare  war  to  France.  An  arrogant  ultimatum 
addressed  on  the  ist  of  October  to  the  ministry  of 
the  Tuileries  by  the  representative  of  Prussia,  M. 
de  Knobelsdorf,  rendered  inevitable  a  war  which 
Napoleon  would  have  preferred  not  to  undertake  or 
at  any  rate  to  have  been  able  to  postpone. 

Before  leaving  Paris  to  put  himself  at  the  head  of 
his  army,  the  emperor  had  authorised  Josephine  to 
proceed  to  Mayence,  so  that  she  might  be  nearer  the 
scene  of  operations.  He  had  at  the  same  time  enjoined 
her  to  hold  her  court  there  and  to  let  Queen  Hortense 
pay  her  a  visit.  The  empress  now  wrote  as  follows 
to  the  latter  : 

'  All  your  letters,  my  dear  Hortense,  are  charming, 
and  you  are  very  kind  to  write  to  me  so  often.  I  have 
news  also  of  Eugene  and  his  wife  ;  I  see  that  they  are 
happy,  and  I  am  so  myself,  especially  at  this  moment, 
for  1  am  going  with  the  emperor  and  am  making  my 

128 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

preparations  for  the  journey.     I  assure   you  that  I  am 

not  the  least  afraid  of  this  new  war,  if  it  has  to  take 

place  ;  but  the  nearer  I  am  to  the  emperor,  the  less 

afraid  I  shall  be,  and  I  feel  that  I  could  not  live  if  I 

stayed  here.     Another  cause  for  joy  is  that  I  shall  see 

you  again   at  Mayence.      The  emperor  bids  me  tell 

you  that  he  has  just   given  the  King  of  Holland  an 

army  of  eighty  thousand  men,  and  that  his  command 

will  extend  to  near  Mayence  ;  he  thinks  that  you  will 

come  and  stay  at  Mayence  ;  you  can  judge,  my  dear 

Hortense,  whether  that   is   not   a   piece   of  pleasant 

news  for  a  mother  who  loves  you  as  tenderly  as  I  do. 

Every  day  we  shall  receive  news  from  the  emperor 

and   from  your  husband  ;  we  shall  enjoy  it  together. 

The  Grand  Duke  of  Berg  has  been  speaking  to  me 

about  your  children  ;    kiss  them  for  me  until   I   am 

able    to    embrace    them    myself,    my  dear    daughter, 

and    I    hope   that   will   be  soon.     My   very   kindest 

regards  to  the  King.'  * 

Napoleon  had  just  taken  the  field  and  was  hurrying 

the  march  of  his  divisions  with  the  object  of  crushing 

Prussia  before  the  arrival  of  the  Emperor  of  Russia's 

forces.     He  wrote  Josephine  a  letter  from  Gera,  on 

*  Letter  from  the  Empress  Josephine  to  Meneval,  the  emperor's 
secretary  :  *■  I  am  much  obliged  to  you,  my  dear  Menneval  (sic),  for 
your  kind  care  in  giving  me  news  of  the  emperor  and  I  would 
ask  of  you  the  same  exactness  during  the  whole  course  of  the  campaign. 
I  await  your  bulletins  with  great  impatience  ;  tell  me  about  the 
emperor,  his  health,  his  doings  ;  these  are  the  tidings  I  shall  always 
read  first,  and  by  the  value  I  set  on  them  you  can  judge  of  all  the 
pleasure  you  will  be  giving  me.  Goodbye,  my  dear  Mennevalle,  (sic) 
you  know  how  highly  I  think  of  you. 

*  Josephine.* 
*  Mayence,  nth  October  1806.* 

I  129 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

the  13th  October,  which  was  prophetic  of  the  brilliant 
successes  he  achieved  later  on  : 

'  I  am  to-day  at  G6ra,  my  dearest  ;  my  affairs  are 
prospering  and  everything  is  going  as  I  hoped  it  would. 
With  God*s  help  matters  will  in  a  few  days  have 
assumed,  I  think,  a  very  terrible  aspect  for  the  poor 
King  of  Prussia,  for  whom  personally  I  am  sorry, 
because  he  is  a  good  man.  The  queen  is  at  Erfurt 
with  the  King.  If  she  wants  to  see  a  battle,  she  will 
have  this  cruel  pleasure.  I  am  wonderfully  well ;  I 
have  already  grown  stouter  since  my  departure  ;  and 
yet  I  am  actually  travelling  twenty  to  twenty-five 
leagues  every  day,  on  horseback,  by  carriage,  and  in 
every  conceivable  manner.  I  turn  in  at  eight  o'clock, 
and  am  up  again  at  midnight  ;  sometimes  I  reflect  that 
you  have  not  gone  to  bed  yet.     Ever  yours.' 

On  the  following  day,  the  14th  October  1806,  the 
emperor's  predictions  were  brilliantly  verified,  the 
Prussian  army  being  annihilated  at  the  celebrated 
battle  of  Jena.  From  the  field  of  battle  Napoleon 
gave  Josephine  an  account,  dated  15  th  October, 
of  his  fresh  victory  : 

'  My  dear,  I  have  carried  out  some  fine  manoeuvres 
against  the  Prussians.  I  gained  yesterday  a  great 
victory.  They  had  a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  men  ; 
I  made  twenty  thousand  prisoners,  took  a  hundred 
cannon  and  some  flags.  I  was  in  the  King's  presence 
and  quite  close  to  him  ;  I  nearly  captured  both  him 
and  the  queen.  The  last  two  days  I  have  bivouacked 
in  the  open  air.  I  am  wonderfully  well.  Good-bye, 
my  dearest,  take  care  of  yourself  and  love  me.' 

130 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

On  the  25th  October  Napoleon  made  his  entry  into 
Berlin. 

Josephine,  during  this  period,  held  her  court  at 
Mayence,  accompanied  by  Queen  Hortense  and  her 
two  children,  as  well  as  by  the  Grand  Duchess 
Stephanie  of  Baden,  nee  Beauharnais.  She  busied 
herself  with  her  customary  benevolence  in  ameliorat- 
ing the  lot  of  the  officers,  who  were  prisoners  of  war, 
and  in  aiding  the  poor  wounded  soldiers.  In  his 
bulletins  from  the  field  of  battle.  Napoleon  had  spoken 
of  the  Queen  of  Prussia  in  very  harsh  terms,  and 
without  any  attempt  to  moderate  his  language,  comparing 
her  to  Armida,  setting  fire  in  her  frenzy  to  her  own 
palace.  Josephine,  whose  principal  characteristic  was 
kindness  of  heart,  had  remonstrated  with  her  husband 
for  his  uncourteous  expressions,  and  the  latter  had 
replied — knowing  that  this  would  please  her — by 
telling  her  of  the  favour  he  had  shown  to  Madame 
de  Hatzfeld,  when  she  had  come  to  ask  the  emperor's 
pardon  for  her  husband,  who  had  been  condemned  to 
death.  This  circumstance,  which  does  great  credit  to 
Napoleon,  is  related  in  the  well  known  letter  which  he 
wrote  at  the  time  to  Josephine,  and  which  ends  with 
the  words  :  '  You  see  therefore  that  I  appreciate  good, 
simple,  and  kindhearted  women  ;  but  this  is  because 
they  are  the  only  ones  who  are  like  you.' 

In  spite  of  the  pleasure  Josephine  always  experienced 
at  being  again  in  the  company  of  her  dearly  loved 
daughter.  Napoleon's  prolonged  absence  and  the 
distance  which  separated  him  from  her,  began  to 
disturb  her  and  to  weigh  upon  her  mind.     In    1805, 

131 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

a  year  earlier,  we  have  seen  that  she  had  earnestly 
desired  to  join  the  emperor  at  Vienna,  but  had 
received  no  encouragement  from  him  to  do  so.  Now 
it  was  to  come  to  him  at  Berlin  that  she  entreated 
Napoleon's  permission.  With  this  object  in  view, 
therefore,  she  addressed  Meneval,  the  emperor's 
secretary,  in  the  following  letter  : 

'  Mayence,  26th  November  1806. 

'  I  have  received  with  pleasure,  my  dear  Mennevalle, 
(sic)  the  news  you  give  me  about  the  emperor,  but 
1  am  surprised  that  he  complains  of  not  receiving 
letters  from  me,  for  I  have  written  him  at  least  three 
times  a  week,  and  I  have  received  nothing  from  him 
since  the  i6th.  But  I  am  glad  to  know  that  he 
is  in  good  health  and  that  he  does  not  altogether 
dislike  his  stay  at  Berlin.  I  wish  I  could  say  the 
same  about  Mayence.  Even  the  air  is  not  particularly 
good  and  will  become  worse,  as  the  arrival  is  announced 
of  four  hundred  Prussians  ill  with  dysentery. 

'  You  will  oblige  me  by  reminding  the  emperor  that 
he  has  still  to  give  me  a  reply  as  to  a  journey  that 
he  proposes  I  should  make  to  Berlin.  Goodbye, 
my  dear  Mennevalle  (sic),  please  continue  to  send 
me  news  ;  with  kind  regards, 

*  Josephine.' 

Ingenious  in  finding  pretexts  for  obtaining  what 
she  had  at  heart,  Josephine  pretended  in  this  letter 
that  she  had  received — in  connection  with  her  pro- 
posed journey  to  Berlin — some  encouragement  from 
Napoleon.      She  did  not  even  perceive  that  she  was 

132 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

here  asking  her  husband  to  reply  to  a  proposal,  of 
which  the  initiative,  judging  by  the  expressions  used 
in  the  letter  above  quoted,  came  from  himself !  It 
is  more  probable  that  the  emperor  never  had  at 
this  period  any  intention  like  the  one  attributed  to 
him  by  Josephine,  for  although  the  Prussian  campaign 
was  ended,  the  war  with  Russia  continued,  obliging 
Napoleon  and  his  army  to  pursue  their  march  into 
the  heart  of  Poland. 


133 


CHAPTER   XII 

In  spite  of  the  emperor's  expostulations,  which  were 
meant  to  dissuade  her  from  coming  to  join  him  in 
Prussia  and  in  Poland,  Josephine  persisted  in  importun- 
ing her  husband  to  grant  her  this  permission  as  a 
favour.  His  unwillingness  to  do  so  became  in  time 
a  real  grief  to  her,  and  in  several  of  the  letters 
Napoleon  addressed  to  his  wife  he  tried  in  vain  to  reason 
with  her.  It  is  impossible  for  us  to  reproduce  here 
the  whole  of  the  correspondence  between  the  emperor 
and  Josephine,  which  is  to  be  found  in  the  Didot 
collection,  and  from  which  we  have  already  borrowed 
several  passages.  We  shall  content  ourselves  with 
quoting  the  following  letter,  dated  at  the  end  of 
January  1 807,  a  few  days  before  the  bloody  victory  of 
Eylau : 

'  My  dear,  your  letter  of  20th  January  has  grieved 
me  ;  it  is  too  melancholy.  That  is  the  result  of  your 
not  exercising  a  little  more  pious  resignation ! 
You  tell  me  that  your  happiness  is  your  glory  : 
that  is  not  generous  ;  you  should  say  :  the  happiness 
of  others  is  my  glory ;  it  is  not  conjugal ;  you 
should    say  :  my    husband's    happiness  is   my  glory ; 

134 


^     THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

it  is  not  motherly  ;  you  should  say  :  my  children's 
happiness  is  my  glory  ;  now,  since  mankind,  your 
husband,  your  children,  cannot  be  happy  without 
a  little  glory,  you  should  not  think  so  lightly  of  it  1 
Josephine,  your  heart  is  excellent  but  your  logic  is 
feeble  ;  you  feel  to  perfection,  but  you  reason  less 
satisfactorily.  Now,  I  have  quarrelled  with  you 
enough  ;  I  want  you  to  be  happy,  contented  with  your 
lot,  and  I  want  you  also  to  be  obedient,  not  grumb- 
lingly  and  tearfully,  but  cheerfully  and  even  gladly. 
Adieu,  my  dear  ;  I  am  starting  to-night  to  visit  my 
outposts.' 

Husband  and  wife  no  longer  spoke  the  same 
language.  Napoleon  seems  in  this  letter  only  to  be 
occupied  with  his  glory.  Josephine,  on  the  other 
hand,  must  have  thought  that  this  word  suggested 
itself  too  often  to  her  husband's  pen  ;  she  was  uneasy 
and  grieved  to  see  this  indefatigable  master  spirit 
tempting  fortune  so  persistently  and  with  so  much 
rashness.  Both  Napoleon's  consorts  would  in  their 
day  have  preferred  a  peaceable  existence  and  one  free 
from  storms  to  the  terrible  anxieties  which  their 
husband's  adventures,  glorious  as  they  were,  continually 
caused  them. 

Before  returning  to  Paris,  which  she  did  on  the 
31st  January  1807,  Josephine,  in  accordance  with  the 
emperor's  wishes,  had  visited  Frankfort,  with  Queen 
Hortense  and  the  Grand-Duchess  of  Baden,  and  had 
there  received  from  the  prince-primate  a  welcome 
suited  to  their  rank.  It  was  during  this  Polish 
campaign,    which    ended   with    the   two   victories    of 

135 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Eylau  and  Friedland,  that  Josephine's  jealousy  was 
aroused,  not  without  serious  cause,  by  malicious 
reports.  In  the  interval  the  emperor  had  returned  to 
Warsaw.  '  He  spent  the  whole  of  the  month  of 
January  there,'  writes  the  emperor's  private  secretary.* 
'  While  this  pause  was  affording  breathing  space  to  the 
army,  Napoleon  was  giving  entertainments  and  con- 
certs to  the  Polish  ladies.  He  did  not  remain  in- 
sensible to  the  charms  of  one  of  them,  whose  tender- 
ness and  devotion  remained  constant  in  days  of 
adversity.'  Neither  Josephine's  apprehensions,  which 
we  have  referred  to  above,  nor  her  presentiments,  had 
on  this  occasion  misled  her.  She  wrote  despairing 
letters  to  her  husband,  declaring  that  she  preferred 
rather  to  die  than  to  bear  any  longer  a  separation  which 
threatened  to  last  for  ever. 

It  should  be  added  that  with  Josephine's  jealous 
suspicions  were  mingled  considerations  of  an  infinitely 
graver  character.  Rumours  had  again  begun  to  circu- 
late of  the  possibility  of  a  divorce.  Fouche,  that 
dangerous  proteg6  of  Napoleon's  first  wife,  took  upon 
himself  to  disseminate  here,  there,  and  everywhere 
these  reports,  for  which  he  tried  to  find  evidence  in 
order  to  increase  the  importance  of  his  own  role.  This 
individual's  crafty  and  intriguing  disposition  and  his 
proverbial  ingratitude  prevented  him  from  considering 
the  odiousness  of  playing  such  a  part  towards  one  who 
had  always  been  his  benefactress.  A  little  later  on, 
during  the  second  half  of  1 807,  while  the  court  was  in 

*  Meneval,  Memoires  pour  servir  a  rhistoire  de  'Napoleon  /*''  (published 
by  Dentu),  vol.  ii,  p.  80. 

136 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

residence  at  Fontainebleau,  the  ambassador  Metternich 
was  able  to  write  to  Vienna,  with  regard  to  the  Empress 
Josephine  : 

'  I  have  had  the  honour  of  informing  Your  Excel- 
lency* in  several  of  my  previous  reports  regarding 
the  rumours  which  have  for  long  been  in  circulation 
as  to  the  emperor's  impending  divorce.  After  being 
at  first  only  whispered,  these  rumours  have  been,  for 
nearly  two  months  now,  the  subject  of  public  and 
general  discussions.  It  is  in  this  case  the  same  as  with 
all  tales  that  are  not  stifled  at  their  birth  ;  they  rest  on 
a  basis  of  truth  and  would  have  very  soon  been 
discredited  if  they  had  not  been  purposely  tolerated. 'f 

Who  could  it  have  been  that  vouched  for  the  truth  of 
such  rumours  in  Paris  vis-a-vis  the  foreign  Corps  diplo- 
matique ?  Perhaps  Talleyrand  ;  certainly  Fouchd.  It 
is  interesting  to  note  that  the  two  conspicuous  men  of 
this  period,  who  were  most  notorious  for  their  crafty 
methods,  their  intriguing  spirit  and  their  treacheries, 
were  two  ex-members  of  the  priesthood,  false  to  their 
oaths  both  to  God  and  to  his  Church.  It  seems 
natural  therefore  to  give  here  the  portrait  of  one  of  these 
men,  each  of  whom  exercised  such  a  baleful  influence 
on  the  fortunes  both  of  Josephine  and  of  Napoleon. 

As  regards  his  physique,  Fouch^  was  fairly  tall,  but 
of  an  almost  consumptive  leanness.  He  had  a  livid 
complexion  and  bloodshot  eyes,  small  and  piercing, 
under  eyebrows  of  a  pale  sandy  red.  His  features 
taken   collectively  reminded   one  greatly  of  Marat's 

*  Count  Stadion,  Austrian  minister  of  foreign  affairs, 
t  St  Amand.     Les  Femmes  des  Tuikries. 

137 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

physiognomy  ;  the  face  had  a  similar  cast,  but  his 
glance  was  less  piercing.*  Fouche  throughout  his 
whole  life  subordinated  his  opinions,  his  feelings  and 
his  affections,  if  he  was  ever  capable  of  real  affection, 
to  his  private  interests.  He  had  neither  principles 
nor  beliefs,  and  advanced  towards  the  goal  of  his 
ambition  with  the  suppleness  and  stealth  of  a  feline 
animal.  He  possessed  the  art  of  circumventing  so 
completely  those  whom  he  intended  to  deceive  that  he 
seemed  to  penetrate  the  depths  of  their  most  secret 
thoughts. 

Power!  ....  this  was  Fouche's/^^'^/.y^.  To  gain 
it  and  to  keep  it,  what  would  he  not  have  sacrificed  ? 
Never  having  loved  or  formed  an  attachment  for  any 
one,  no  scruple  restrained,  no  obstacle  deterred  him. 
To  retain  a  predominant  position  in  the  realm  he 
would  have  willingly  resigned  himself  to  ruining  for 
ever  his  most  devoted  agents  or  those  who  were  na'lve 
enough  to  think  themselves  his  best  friends. 

An  intriguer  devoid  of  religious  belief  or  scruples, 
Fouche  was  resolved  to  have  his  finger  in  every  pie,  to 
penetrate  into  everything  that  was  kept  concealed  from 
him,  to  take  his  precautions  against  the  men  in  power,  and 
in  his  interviews  with  those  against  whom  he  had  himself 
instigated  harsh  measures,  he  confidentially  accused  the 
Chief  of  the  State  of  being  the  real  originator  of  the 
proceedings.  Determined  to  know  everything,  to  control 
everything,  to  provide  for  everything,  grovelling  in  his 
relations  with  the  emperor  and  never  running  counter  to 

*  Described  in  conformity  with  the  memoranda  of  a  contemporary 
of  the  Duke  of  Otranto. 

138 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

his  wishes,  this  individual  so  fertile  in  resources  took  care 
to  secure  for  himself  guarantees  for  the  future  when 
he  executed  any  of  his  sovereign's  commands.  A  shame- 
less liar,  with  an  air  of  frankness  and  independence,  he 
sought  tools  and  confederates  even  amongst  the  enemies 
of  the  government,  of  which  he  claimed  to  be  the 
principal  supporter.  Insolent  when  his  ends  were 
gained,  Fouche  dispensed  with  the  observance  of  even 
the  most  elementary  courtesy  towards  those  in  adversity. 
After  Napoleon's  second  abdication,  for  instance,  he 
entered  the  emperor's  cabinet  with  his  hat  on,  in  the 
capacity  of  president  of  the  provisional  government. 
He  assured  Napoleon  that  he  had  instructed  the 
delegate  appointed  by  the  Chambers  to  accept  anything 
but  the  Bourbons,  while  all  the  time  he  was  negotiating 
with  Wellington  in  favor  of  their  return. 

A  description  of  the  Duke  of  Otranto  would  be 
incomplete  without  the  mention  of  some  further 
characteristic  traits  : 

Without  openly  betraying  the  different  governments 
under  whom  he  served,  Fouche  made  his  preparations 
for  the  future  by  being  the  first  to  desert  the  cause  of 
those  who  he  saw  were  ready  to  abandon  it  themselves. 
Without  other  political  views  than  his  own  personal 
interest,  without  an  intelligent  foresight  of  the  events 
of  the  morrow,  he  was  generally  blinded  by  his  egotism. 
His  natural  perfidy  had  not  even  the  excuse  of  being 
provoked  by  rancour  or  the  desire  of  revenge,  for  in 
reality  he  neither  loved  nor  hated  any  one.  A  continual 
appetite  for  intrigue  was  the  mainspring  of  all  his 
actions,  because  he  was  discontented  with  all   those 

139 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

whom  he  served,  considering  that  they  never  gave  him 
either  enough  power  or  enough  money. 

A  savage  revolutionary  at  the  outset,  but  afterwards 
greedy  for  titles  and  honours,  Fouche  flattered  the 
faubourg  Saint-Germain  and  ended  by  marrying 
a  Mile,  de  Castellane  in  the  hope  of  making 
people  forget  that  he  had  formerly  had  the  partisans 
of  the  aristocracy  shot  down  by  hundreds  in  order  to 
make  himself  agreeable  to  the  Committee  of  Public 
Safety.  In  spite  of  the  cleverness  on  which  he  so 
much  prided  himself,  he  allowed  himself  not 
infrequently  to  be  entangled  in  his  own  snares.  With 
an  overweening  idea  of  his  own  talents  and  of  what 
was  due  to  him,  this  regicide  thought  he  would  be  able 
to  dictate  to  Louis  XVIII,  and  that  the  latter  would 
accept  without  mental  reservation  the  interested 
services  which  the  Duke  of  Otranto  laid  at  his  feet 
in  the  hope  they  would  meet  with  his  approval.  But 
Fouche  soon  had  to  undergo  at  the  hands  of  Napoleon's 
successor,  whom  he  had  betrayed  in  favour  of  the 
brothers  of  Louis  XVI,  the  most  cruel  punishment  for 
his  infamous  conduct.  The  new  sovereign  of  France 
ndeed  lost  no  time  in  sending  this  dangerous  intriguer 
in  the  capacity  of  French  Ambassador  to  Dresden,  to 
the  court  of  King  Frederick-Augustus,  who  declined 
even  to  receive  the  man  who  had  been  one  of  the 
executioners  of  the  royal  family  in  1793.  Banished 
at  first  to  Prague,  abandoned  by  all  the  parties  in  the 
State  whom  he  had  successively  duped  and  betrayed, 
Fouche  died  in  exile  of  rage  and  vexation  in  the 
year  1820. 

140 


THE  EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

While  the  war  with  Russia  was  being  pursued  with 
comparative  sluggishness,  and  a  few  weeks  before  the 
decisive  victory  of  Friedland,  a  great  misfortune 
overtook  the  Empress  Josephine,  always  so  attached  to 
her  family,  and  utterly  crushed  the  unfortunate  Queen 
Hortense.  This  was  the  death  of  the  prince  royal  of 
Holland,  elder  brother  of  Napoleon  III,  which 
occurred  on  the  5th  of  May  1807.  Josephine's  sorrow 
was  keen,  that  of  Queen  Hortense  heartrending. 
The  empress,  always  full  of  solicitude,  hastened  to  the 
palace  of  Laeken  to  await  the  arrival  of  her 
unhappy  daughter,  on  whom  she  lavished  the  most 
tender  care  and  the  most  kindly  eifforts  at  consolation. 
Napoleon  himself,  busy  with  his  campaign  on  the 
Russian  frontiers,  evinced  also  a  lively  sympathy  with 
Josephine's  grief  and  with  that  of  his  young  nephew's 
parents.  The  correspondence  indeed  bears  evidence 
of  this  fact.  Napoleon,  it  was  supposed,  intended  to 
make  the  young  prince  his  heir  presumptive,  as  he 
liked  to  have  him  near  him  and  often  enjoyed  taking 
part  in  his  games. 

Queen  Hortense  remained  for  long  inconsolable  for 
the  death  of  her  beloved  son.  As  we  are  again  speak- 
ing of  Josephine's  daughter  it  seems  now  a  fitting 
occasion  for  placing  before  the  reader  the  portrait  that 
Mme.  d'Abrantes  has  sketched  of  her  in  the  Memoires 
which  she  has  left  us  : 

'  She  (Hortense)  was  cheerful,  sweet,  extremely 
kindhearted,  and  of  a  ready  wit  which  combined  this 
cheerful  sweetness  with  just  enough  malicious  humour 
to  be  extremely  piquant  and  to  render  her  conversation 

141 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

attractive  ;  she  possessed  talents  which  needed  no 
heralding  abroad  to  make  them  known.  Her 
facility  in  drawing,  the  harmony  of  her  improvised 
songs,  her  remarkable  talent  for  acting,  an  education 
that  had  been  carefully  attended  to,  these  were 
Hortense  de  Beauharnais*  characteristics  in  1800,  at 
the  time  of  my  marriage.  She  was  then  a  charming 
young  girl ;  she  has  since  become  one  of  the  most 
amiable  princesses  in  Europe.' 

The  lamentable  death  of  the  Empress  Josephine's 
grandson  reconciled  for  the  moment  his  afflicted 
parents.  They  proceeded  together,  in  the  autumn,  to 
a  watering-place  in  the  Pyrenees,  and  in  April  of  the 
following  year  (1808)  Queen  Hortense  gave  birth  to 
her  third  son,  the  future  Emperor  Napoleon  III. 

The  victory  of  Friedland,  (14th  June  1807)  ^^^^^ 
those  of  Jena,  Auerstadt  and  Eylau,  had  at  last 
decided  the  Emperor  Alexander  and  the  King  of 
Prussia  to  make  peace,  and  on  the  1 9th  June  Napoleon 
sent  the  young  Louis  Tascher,  the  Empress  Josephine's 
cousin,  to  announce  the  fact  to  her  : 

'  My  dear,'  wrote  Napoleon,  '  I  have  just  seen  the 
Emperor  Alexander  ;  I  was  very  pleased  with  him  : 
he  is  a  very  handsome,  good  young  man  and  has 
more  intellect  than  he  is  usually  credited  with.  He 
is  coming  to  stay  in  town  to-morrow  at  Tilsit.' 

In  spite  of  the  rumours  of  divorce  which  were 
continually  in  circulation,  one  can  still  see  from 
a  letter  of  Napoleon's  to  Josephine,  dated  the  i8th 
of  July,  after  peace  had  been  signed,  that  the  empress 
had  not  lost  her  place  in  her  husband's  affections  : 

142 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

'  My  dear/  he  writes, '  1  arrived  yesterday  at  Dresden 
at  five  in  the  afternoon,  in  capital  health,  although 
I  had  travelled  for  one  hundred  hours  by  carriage 
without  ever  getting  out.  I  am  staying  here  with 
the  King  of  Saxony,  whom  I  like  very  much.  1  am 
therefore  more  than  half-way  on  my  return  journey 
to  you.  It  may  be  that  one  of  these  beautiful  nights 
I  will  surprise  you  at  St  Cloud,  like  a  jealous  lover  ; 
I  warn  you.  Good-bye,  my  dear,  I  shall  be  so  glad 
to  see  you.     Ever  yours. 

*  Napoleon.' 

It  seems  certain,  however,  that  at  Tilsit,  as  a  result 
of  his  intimate  conversations  with  the  Emperor  of 
Russia,  the  idea  of  an  eventual  divorce  must  have 
more  than  once  crossed  Napoleon's  mind.  Having 
completely  abandoned,  since  the  events  of  1 806,  the 
dream  he  had  cherished  of  a  close  understanding 
with  Prussia,  the  Emperor,  captivated  by  Alexander's 
good  qualities,  nourished  the  hope  of  substituting 
therefor  a  close  and  durable  alliance  with  Russia. 
He  had  counted  without  his  host,  whose  ambiguous 
manner  had  put  him  off  the  scent,  but  who  did 
not  display,  in  his  professions  of  cordiality,  the  same 
sincerity  as  Napoleon. 

The  emperor  re-entered  Paris  on  the  28th  of  July, 
surrounded  with  a  fresh  halo  of  glory,  and  amid  the 
acclamations  of  enthusiastic  multitudes.  The  year 
1807  marks  the  culminating  point  of  the  greatness 
of  the  Empire.  From  the  moment  of  his  return 
Napoleon  busied  himself  in  putting  a  final  touch  to 

143 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

the  organisation  of  the  imperial  court.  We  shall 
refer  specially  to  the  posts  of  honour  in  the  Empress 
Josephine's  household,  which,  writes  M.  Aubenas, 
was  composed  as  follows  :  principal  chaplain,  M. 
Ferdinand  de  Rohan,  former  Archbishop  of  Cambrai  ; 
lady-in-waiting,  Mme.  Chastule  de  la  Rochefoucauld ; 
lady  of  the  bed-chamber,  Mme.  de  Lavalette  ; 
ladies  of  the  household  :  Mmes.  de  Remusat,  de 
Lugay,  de  Talhouet,  de  Lauriston,  marechale  Ney, 
d'Arberg,  marechale  Lannes,  Duchatel,  Walsh-Serrant, 
de  Colbert,  Savary,  Octave  and  Philippe  de  Segur, 
de  Turenne,  Montalivet,  de  Bouille,  de  Vaux, 
Marescot,  de  Peron,  Solar,  Lascaris-Vintimiglia,  de 
Brignole,  de  Gentille,  de  Canisy,  de  Chevreuse,  Maret, 
Victor  de  Mortemart,  and  Montmorency-Matignon. 
Eight  chamberlains  were  attached  to  the  empress' 
service.  General  Nansouty  performed  the  functions 
of  first  chamberlain  ;  the  others  were  MM.  de 
Beaumont,  Hector  d'Aubusson,  La  Feuillade,  de 
Galard-Bearn,  de  Saint-Simon-Courtemer,  de  Grave, 
de  Montesquiou  and  du  Manoir.  M.  d'Harville, 
senator,  was  appointed  chevalier  dhonneur ;  General 
Ordener,  master  of  the  horse  ;  Colonels  Fouler  and 
Corbineau,  equerries. 

In  the  month  of  September  of  the  same  year,  the 
emperor  and  empress  betook  themselves  to  Fontaine- 
bleau  where  they  resided  for  three  months.  The 
palace  had  been  embellished  by  command  of  Napoleon, 
who  held  a  brilliant  court  there.  The  corps 
diplomatique  and  strangers  of  distinction  were  admitted, 
and  sumptuous  entertainments  were  given  to  celebrate 

144 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

the    marriage   of   the    new    King   of   Westphalia    to 
Princess  Catherine  of  WUrtemberg. 

An  account  must  be  given  here  of  Fouche's  insolent 
caprice,  mention  of  which  has,  it  will  be  remembered, 
already  been  made.  M.  de  Lavalette,  postmaster- 
general  under  the  first  Empire  and  husband  of  a 
niece  of  Josephine's,  has  related  in  his  Memoires  the 
incident  of  which  Fouche  was  the  sinister  cause.  The 
former  postmaster-general  tells  how  the  Empress 
Josephine  had  one  day  summoned  him  ;  he  found  her 
extremely  dejected,  with  downcast  eyes,  and  she 
informed  him  of  the  conversation  she  had  just  had 
with  the  Duke  of  Otranto.  The  latter  had  accosted 
the  empress,  telling  her  it  had  become  necessary  that 
she  should  give  France  and  the  emperor  a  great 
proof  of  her  devotion.  Then,  explaining  himself  more 
clearly,  he  let  Josephine  understand  that  the  emperor 
earnestly  desired  to  have  an  heir  of  his  own  blood  ; 
that  after  ten  years  of  married  life  the  empress  could 
no  longer  cherish  the  hope  of  giving  him  one,  and  that 
she  had  therefore  become  the  sole  obstacle  to  the 
consolidation  of  her  husband's  throne.  Fouche 
added  that  this  circumstance  imposed  on  the  empress 
the  necessity  of  making  a  great  sacrifice.  He  knew, 
he  said,  how  painful  such  an  act  of  self-abnegation 
would  be  for  Josephine,  but  was  sufficiently  aware  of 
her  innate  loftiness  of  purpose  to  be  persuaded  that 
she  would  resign  herself  to  it.  "The  emperor,"  he 
continued,  "will  not  himself  enforce  this  sacrifice  ;  I 
know  his  attachment  for  you.  Be  greater  even  than 
he  is,  and  give  this  last  token  of  your  devotion  to  the 
K  145 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

country  and  to  the  emperor  ;  history  will  commend 
your  action,  and  you  will  take  precedence  of  the 
most  illustrious  women  who  have  occupied  the  throne 
of  France." 

The  empress,  according  to  her  own  admission,  was 
so  taken  aback  by  this  monstrous  proposition, 
that  she  could  only  answer  her  interlocutor  in 
vague  and  disjointed  phrases.  "  Tell  me  what  I  must 
do,"  she  is  reported  to  have  said  to  Lavalette,  "you 
who  are  attached  to  me  by  the  ties  of  kindred  and  of 
devotion.  Is  it  not  evident  that  Fouche  has  been 
sent  by  the  emperor  and  that  my  fate  is  sealed  .'' 
Alas  !  it  is  nothing  to  me  to  have  to  abdicate  the 
throne  ;  who  knows  better  than  myself  all  the  tears 
my  sovereignty  has  cost  me  !  But  to  lose  at  the 
same  time  the  man  to  whom  I  have  consecrated  my 
dearest  affections,  this  sacrifice  is  more  than  I  can 
bear  !  " 

M^neval,  the  emperor's  private  secretary,  has  also 
made  a  note  in  his  MemoireSy  which  refers  to  the  same 
incident.* 

'  Ever  since  the  end  of  1 807,'  he  writes,  '  Fouch6 
had  endeavoured  to  sound  public  opinion  as  to  an 
eventual  divorce,  and  he  had  thrown  out  the  idea  of 
an  alliance  between  Napoleon  and  the  Grand  Duchess 
Catherine  of  Russia.  He  knew  that  the  emperor 
was  reluctant  to  separate  his  destiny  from  that  of  a 
wife  who  was  both  loving  and  devoted.  He  wanted  to 
have  the  credit  of  forcing  his  hand,  and  spoke  to  some 

*  Memoires  pour  servir  a  rhUtoire  de  'Napoleon  /**",  vol.  ii,  note  to 
page  284. 

146 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

members  of  the  senate  about  the  divorce  as  a  step 
that  had  been  determined  upon  ;  finally  he  presented 
himself  to  Josephine  as  an  officious  intermediary. 
The  empress,  astounded  at  the  proposition,  and 
thinking  that  Fouche  had  been  sent  by  the  emperor, 
replied  with  melancholy  resignation  that  she  would 
deem  no  sacrifice  too  great  if  it  were  made  in  obedi- 
ence to  her  husband.  Napoleon,  unaware  of  these 
underhand  doings,  found  Josephine  one  day  in  tears 
and  obtained  from  her  a  confession  of  the  line  of 
conduct  Fouche  had  permitted  himself  to  adopt 
towards  her.  Indignant  at  such  audacity,  he  sent  for 
his  minister  and  treated  him  as  he  deserved  ;  he 
would  even  have  dismissed  him  on  the  spot  from  the 
ministry  of  police,  if  he  had  had  some  one  at  hand  to 
put  in  his  place.*  *  Fouche  owed  much  to  Josephine, 
as  M.  Aubenas  has  rightly  pointed  out.  He  dis- 
played on  this  occasion  that  bold  ingratitude  which 
characterises  ambitious  men  desirous  at  all  costs  of 
improving  or  retaining  their  position,  a  class  prone  to 
treachery,  on  whom  favours  are  thrown  away,  seeing 
that  nothing  they  obtain  is  ever  sufficient  for  their 
insatiable  desires.  The  minister  of  police  had  given 
expression  to  a  fictitious  opinion.  No  one,  at  this 
period  at  any  rate,  was  in  favour  of  the  emperor's 
divorce.  The  Empress  Josephine  was  more  popular 
than  ever. 

Napoleon  had   not   yet  made  up  his  mind   to  the 
divorce,  and  nothing  could  be  more  opposed   to  his 

*  Fouche  obtained   the  support  of  Murat  and  of  the  emperor's 
brothers,  who  succeeded  in  appeasing  his  anger. 

147 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

wishes  than  to  inflict  on  his  unfortunate  spouse  a  prema- 
ture sorrow  ;  on  the  contrary  he  would  have  desired 
to  spare  her  from  having  the  threat  of  an  eventual 
divorce  continually  suspended  over  her  head. 
Josephine  therefore,  after  this  fresh  alarm,  recovered, 
partially  at  least,  her  equanimity  and  feeling  of  security  ; 
but  a  new  affliction  was  to  befall  her  at  the  end  of  1 807. 
Her  mother,  Madame  de  la  Pagerie,  whom  she  had 
vainly  endeavoured  to  induce  to  join  her  in  France, 
died  in  Martinique,  but  the  news  ot  her  decease  was 
long  in  being  conveyed  to  the  empress.  Napoleon 
having  been  anxious  to  spare  his  wife's  feelings. 

In  November  the  emperor  made  a  visit  to  his 
kingdom  of  Italy,  but  without  taking  Josephine  with 
him,  though  she  would  have  much  liked  to  accompany 
him.  It  was  in  the  course  of  this  journey  that 
Napoleon,  wishing  to  give  Josephine  and  her  children 
a  manifest  proof  of  his  affection,  solemnly  adopted 
Prince  Eugene  as  his  successor  to  the  crown  of  Italy. 
Finally,  in  the  month  of  January  1808,  the  emperor, 
always  desirous  of  giving  his  wife's  family  tokens  of 
his  benevolent  interest,  favoured  the  marriage  of  a 
niece  of  Josephine's,  Mile.  Stephanie  Tascher,  to 
the  Prince  of  Arenberg,  the  colonel  of  a  French 
regiment. 


148 


CHAPTER  XIII 

Three  months  of  repose,  in  the  agitated  and  inordin- 
ately active  existence  to  which  the  Emperor  Napoleon 
was  accustomed,  caused  time  to  hang  heavy  on  his 
hands.  Unfortunately  for  him,  the  events  which  ever 
since  the  commencement  of  the  year  1808  had  been 
succeeding  each  other  in  Spain,  soon  compelled  him  to 
fix  all  his  attention  on  that  country.  The  feeble  King 
Charles  IV  and  his  spouse,  the  queen,  who  were  dpcile 
instruments  in  the  hands  of  the  notorious  Godo'l,  Prince 
de  la  Paix,  had  excited  the  Spanish  popular  sentiment 
against  themselves.  Prince  Ferdinand,  the  heir  to  the 
throne,  a  declared  enemy  of  Godo'l,  had  placed  himself 
at  the  head  of  the  malcontents,  and  the  most  deplorable 
dissensions  divided  the  royal  family.  The  emperor, 
who  dreamed  of  placing  members  of  his  own  family  on 
all  the  thrones  of  the  Bourbons,  thought  to  find  in  the 
Spanish  situation  a  favorable  pretext  for  interfering  in 
these  quarrels.  He  made  the  mistake  of  choosing  the 
side  of  the  feebler  party,  namely  that  of  the  old  sovereign 
of  Spain,  for,  had  he  taken  Ferdinand's  part,  it  is 
probable  that  he  would  have  rallied  round  him  the 
whole  Spanish  nation.     It  seems  likely  that  Ferdinand's 

149 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

base  and  hypocritical  character  prevented  Napoleon — 
once  he  had  formed  his  opinion  of  this  prince — from 
pronouncing  in  favor  of  his  cause.  If  nature  had 
endowed  Ferdinand  with  an  ensemble  of  qualities 
diametrically  opposite  to  those  he  possessed,  France 
as  well  as  Spain  might  have  been  spared  great  mis- 
fortunes. 

However  this  may  be,  the  emperor  formed  the 
resolution,  which  was  destined  to  be  such  a  fatal  one 
for  him,  to  mix  himself  up  with  the  affairs  of  the 
Peninsula,  and  ordered  Murat,  who  had  been  given  the 
command  of  a  large  army,  to  cross  the  Pyrenees.  On 
the  2nd  of  April  Napoleon,  accompanied  by  the  empress, 
left  in  person  for  Bayonne,  a  frontier  town,  where  he 
had  agreed  to  meet  the  Spanish  princes.  The  emperor 
took  leave  of  Josephine  at  Bordeaux,  where  he  left  her, 
as  he  had  never  intended  her  to  be  present  at  the 
Bayonne  conferences.*  Arriving  on  the  1 5th  in  this 
town,  Napoleon  at  once  busied  himself  in  preparing 
the  chateau  of  Marrac,  where  he  wished  to  receive  the 
Spanish  royal  family,  and  where  Josephine  was  to  be 
entrusted  with  the  task  of  doing  the  honours  to  King 
Charles  IV  and  the  queen. 

*  A  letter  from  Meneval  to  his  wife,  dated  5th  April  1808,  may 
be  quoted  in  this  connection  :  Bordeaux.  *  I  expect  we  shall  stay 
two  days  here  and  then  continue  our  journey  to  Bayonne.  The 
empress  should  be  here  in  three  or  four  days.  It  was  originally 
intended  that  she  should  remain  in  Paris,  and  she  was  very  dis- 
appointed at  this.  She  had  told  M.  Deschamps  (her  secretary) 
to  go  and  fetch  you  on  Tuesday,  that  is  to-day,  and  bring  you  to 
spend  the  day  with  her  at  Malmaison,  where  she  was  to  be  alone. 
But,  just  as  he  was  getting  into  his  carriage,  the  emperor  consented 
to  her  coming  to  Bordeaux.  You  may  conceive  her  joy.  She  was 
luckier  than  you  ! ' 

150 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

It  was  at  Bordeaux,  in  the  course  of  this  month  of 
April  1 808,  that  Josephine  received  news  of  the  birth 
of  Queen  Hortense's  third  son,  the  future  Napoleon 
III,  who  was  born  on  the  8th  April  1808  at  Paris. 
The  empress,  overjoyed  at  this  happy  event,  wrote 
from  Bordeaux  to  her  daughter  Hortense  on 
25th  April  : 

'  I  have  a  letter  from  the  emperor,  my  dear 
Hortense,  in  which  he  says  he  had  heard  that  you  had 
given  birth  to  a  boy,  and  that  the  news  had  given  him 
great  pleasure.  The  emperor  commands  me,  at  the 
same  time,  to  come  and  rejoin  him  at  Bayonne  ;  you 
can  imagine,  my  dear  child,  that  it  is  a  great  happiness 
for  me  to  remain  beside  the  emperor,  and  I  am  leaving 
to-morrow  very  early  in  the  morning.' 

The  satisfaction  which  Napoleon  and  Josephine 
experienced  would  have  been  much  enhanced,  M. 
Aubenas  justly  remarks,  if  they  could  have  foreseen 
that  this  child  was  destined  one  day  to  re-establish  the 
imperial  dynasty. 

The  Court  remained  at  Bayonne  and  at  Marrac  for 
three  months.  King  Charles  IV  and  the  queen, 
preceded  by  Prince  Ferdinand,  their  eldest  son,  had 
arrived  at  Bayonne  on  the  30th  April,  followed  by 
sundry  Spanish  grandees  and  by  their  dear  friend  and 
favourite  Godo'l.  A  magnificent  reception  had  been 
prepared  for  the  aged  king  and  queen.  The  effect 
which  must  have  been  produced  on  the  elegant  Court 
of  the  French  Emperor  and  Empress  by  their 
equipages  and  their  antiquated  fashions  must  have 
been    highly     comical.       One    can    therefore    easily 

151 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

understand  the  language  used  in  1 8 1 4  by  the  Arch- 
duke John  to  the  Empress  Marie-Louise  at  Vienna, 
when  this  Austrian  prince,  alluding  to  King  Charles, 
his  wife  and  Godof,  then  refugees  at  Verona,  assured 
her  that  he  was  going  to  behold,  in  this  last  mentioned 
city,  '  a  very  celebrated  menagerie  ! '  * 

The  Empress  Josephine  brought  into  play  all  her 
graces  and  seductive  arts  to  console  Prince  Ferdinand's 
mother,  and  to  lessen,  as  far  as  it  lay  in  her  power,  the 
bitterness  of  the  fate  which  was  in  store  for  this  aged 
royal  couple.  She  won  especially  the  queen's 
heart,  by  continually  showing  her  the  most  touching 
attentions.  Josephine  succeeded  also  in  interesting  and 
amusing  the  queen  by  giving  her  lessons  in  the  French 
art  of  dressing.  She  obtained  for  her  the  good  offices 
of  her  famous  hairdresser,  Duplan,  which  delighted 
the  Spanish  queen,  whose  childish  turn  of  mind  was 
wonderfully  adapted  for  such  occupations  and  who 
enjoyed  these  frivolities. 

We  cannot  undertake  here  the  task  of  relating  the 
ins  and  outs  of  the  Bayonne  melodrama,  which  only 
concerns  Josephine  very  indirectly,  and  ended,  as  we 
know,  in  the  ephemeral  appropriation  of  the  throne  of 
Philip  II  by  King  Joseph  Bonaparte.  The  removal 
to  France  of  the  princes  of  the  Spanish  Bourbon 
dynasty  was  the  immediate  consequence  of  this.  On 
the  day  before  Napoleon's  birthday,  the  14th  August, 
the  emperor  and  empress  re-entered  St  Cloud.  They 
were  both  returning  in  a  less  cheerful  mood  than  that 

*  Menage,  household  ;  a  play  upon  words  not  apparent  in  the 
English. 

152 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

in  which  they  had  left  for  Bayonne  :  Napoleon  very 
annoyed  at  the  disastrous  affair  of  Baylen,  news  of 
which  he  had  heard  en  route — Josephine  grieved  at 
the  occupation  of  Rome  by  the  French  troops  and  at 
the  regrettable  attitude  adopted  by  her  husband 
towards  the  venerable  Pius  VII. 

Up  to  this  time  no  dark  cloud  had  arisen  to 
obscure  Napoleon's  star.  From  the  close  of  this 
year  1808  the  glorious  stages  of  his  career  still 
remaining  to  be  traversed  were  to  be  interspersed  with 
reverses  and  secret  troubles.  At  a  later  period  at 
St  Helena,  he  was  destined  to  regret  his  mistakes,  the 
war  with  Spain,  the  persecution  inflicted  on  the  Pope, 
and,  finally  his  abandonment  of  Josephine.  Before  the 
interview  of  Erfurt,  which  was  being  arranged  for 
the  month  of  October,  there  had  never  been  any 
serious  question  of  this  abandonment.  At  Erfurt 
on  the  contrary  the  ideas  of  divorce,  which  from  time 
to  time  had  crossed  Napoleon's  mind,  and  which,  like  a 
^  leit-motif ^  were  continually  re-appearing,  assumed  a 
much  more  serious  and  permanent  character.  Napoleon 
had  wished  to  sound  Alexander's  inclinations  before 
committing  himself  to  the  perilous  enterprise  of 
which  the  crown  of  Spain  was  to  be  the  object.  At 
Erfurt  the  relations  between  the  sovereign  of  France 
and  the  Russian  autocrat  were  of  a  very  intimate 
nature.  *  This  increased  intimacy,'  writes  M. 
Aubenas,  'was  far  from  agreeable  to  the  Empress 
Josephine,  for  it  was  supposed  to  be,  and  this  she 
knew,  the  harbinger  of  a  union  between  the  emperor 
and    a  Russian   princess.'     M.    de    Meneval  declares 

153 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

indeed  that  the  Emperor  Alexander  ofFered  his 
powerful  ally,  at  Erfurt,  the  hand  of  the  Princess 
Anne,  his  sister,  and  adds  that  Napoleon  contented 
himself  with  listening  to  the  proposal  without  making 
any  positive  reply.  This  is  probably  true  enough  ; 
indeed  these  ambitious  views  grew  apace  at  Erfurt  and 
the  idea  of  a  divorce  was  making  headway  in  his  mind, 
but  he  had  not  yet  decided  to  carry  out  the  scheme.  * 

Napoleon  on  leaving  Erfurt  only  passed  through 
Paris,  as  it  were,  on  his  way  to  Spain,  and  shortly 
afterwards  made  his  entry  into  Madrid.  Whether  it 
was  presentiment  or  an  intuitive  apprehension  of  the 
risk  that  the  emperor  was  running  in  this  precarious 
adventure,  Josephine  had  watched  his  departure  with 
misgiving.  Contrary  to  her  habitual  reserve,  when 
warlike  operations  were  under  consideration,  the 
empress  is  said  on  this  occasion  to  have  begged  her 
husband  to  set  some  limit  to  the  boundless  series  of 
his  military  enterprises.  She  had  lost  her  former 
confidence  in  the  invincibility  of  the  conqueror  of 
Europe,  and  she  dreaded  the  future.  Would  not  the 
other  powers,  hostile  to  France  though  subdued  for 
the  moment,  take  advantage  of  his  absence  at  the 
extremity  of  the  continent  and  his  embarrassments  in 
Spain  to  avenge  their  previous  defeats  ? 

Josephine's  correspondence  with  her  husband 
probably  contained  traces  of  these  fears,  for  Napoleon 
wrote  her  on  the  9th  January  1809  : 

'  Moustache  t  brings  me  a  letter  from  you  of  31st 

*  Aubenas,  Histoire  de  Pimperatrke  Josephine,  vol.  ii,  p.  434. 
t  Name  of  one  of  the  emperor's  couriers. 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

December.  I  see,  my  dearest,  that  you  are  sad  and 
full  of  very  gloomy  forebodings.  Austria  will  not 
declare  war.  If  she  does,  I  have  a  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  men  in  Germany  and  the  same  number  on 
the  Rhine,  besides  four  hundred  thousand  Germans  to, 
reply  to  her  challenge.  Russia  will  not  desert  me. 
People  are  mad  in  Paris.  Everything  is  progressing 
favourably.  I  shall  be  in  Paris  as  soon  as  I  find 
it  desirable.  I  advise  you  to  beware  of  nightly 
visitants.*  Some  fine  day  at  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning  .  .  .  But  good-bye,  my  dearest,  I  am  quite 
well  and  remain  yours  affectionately.' 

Josephine's  presentiments  and  fears,  however,  had 
not  deceived  her.  Austria  was  making  fresh  prepara- 
tions for  war  and  was  increasing  her  armaments.  She 
was  soon  to  take  off  her  mask  and  to  invade  Bavaria, 
thus  provoking  the  celebrated  campaign  of  1 809. 

Napoleon,  informed  of  this  hostile  attitude  and  of  the 
sinister  designs  of  his  old  enemy,  re-entered  Paris  pre- 
cipitately on  the  23rd  January  and,  in  two  months'  time, 
had  completed  his  preparations  for  war.  He  left 
towards  the  middle  of  April  to  rejoin  his  headquarters 
in  Germany,  leaving  the  empress,  whom  he  had  taken 
with  him,  at  Strasburg. 

Josephine  waited  impatiently  at  Strasburg  during 
this  campaign  and  her  anxieties  continued  to  increase. 
On  the  yth  of  May  she  wrote  from  this  city  to  the 
emperor's  secretary  : 

'  I  regret,  my  dear  Menneval  (sic),  I  have  been 
unable  to  tell  you  before  this  how  grateful  I  am  for  your 

*  A  play  upon  words.     Revenants  —  ghosts,  or,  persons  returning. 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

attention  in  giving  me  news  of  the  emperor  so  often. 
I  have  to  thank  your  regularity  in  writing  for  any  peace 
of  mind  I  possess.  Several  days  have  passed,  however, 
without  my  receiving  any  news  from  headquarters.  .  . 
'  Goodbye,  my  dear  Menneval  (j/V),  and  my  very 
kindest  regards. 

'Josephine.' 

The  empress  had  been  disturbed  and  alarmed  at  the 
report  which  had  been  spread  regarding  the  wound 
Napoleon  had  received  at  the  siege  of  Ratisbon. 

To  re-assure  her  the  latter  addressed  her  the  follow- 
ing note,  dated  the  6th  of  May  : 

'  My  dearest,  I  have  received  your  letter.  The 
bullet  which  hit  me  has  not  wounded  me  ;  it  hardly 
grazed  the  Achilles'  tendon.  1  am  in  capital  health  ; 
you  are  wrong  to  be  anxious.  My  affairs  are  prosper- 
ing.    Yours  affectionately.' 

After  the  capture  of  Vienna  and  the  arrival  on  the 
Danube  of  Prince  Eugene's  army.  Napoleon,  in  a 
letter  dated  27th  May,  gave  Josephine  an  account  of 
the  occurrences  of  the  war  : 

'  I  write  you  a  few  lines  to  inform  you  that  Eugene 
has  rejoined  me  with  his  whole  army,  has 
perfectly  accomplished  the  object  I  wished  him  to 
achieve,  and  has  almost  entirely  destroyed  the  army 
which  was  opposed  to  him.  I  send  you  my  pro- 
clamation to  the  army  of  Italy,  which  will  explain 
everything  to  you.  I  am  very  well.  Yours 
affectionately. 

'P.S. — You   can    have    this   proclamation   printed 

156 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

at  Strasburg  and  translated  into  French  and 
German,  so  that  it  can  be  distributed  throughout 
Germany.  Enclose  a  copy  of  the  proclamation  with 
the  translation  that  goes  to  Paris/ 

On  the  31st  of  May  the  emperor  communicated  to 
the  empress  the  news  of  the  death  of  Marshal  Lannes, 
who  had  been  killed  at  Essling,  in  the  following 
terms  : 

'  .  .  .  .  The  loss  of  the  Duke  of  Montebello,  who 
died  this  morning,  has  distressed  me  exceedingly. 
Such  is  the  end  of  everything  !  .  .  .  .  Good-bye,  my 
dearest.  If  you  can  help  to  console  his  poor  wife, 
please  do  so.     Yours  affectionately.' 

The  empress  was  at  this  juncture  preparing  to  leave 
Strasburg  to  go  and  take  the  waters  at  Plombieres,  and 
on  the  7th  June  she  wrote  the  following  letter  to  the 
emperor's  secretary  : 

'  Strasburg,  7th  June  1809. 

'  I  propose,  my  dear  Meneval,  to  leave  for  Plom- 
bieres on  Monday,  the  12th  of  this  month.  While  I 
am  taking  the  waters  there,  I  shall  be  still  further 
from  news  than  I  am  here.  1  depend  on  your  usual 
promptitude  not  to  leave  me  ignorant  of  anything  that 
may  be  of  interest  to  me.  You  may  continue  to 
address  your  letters  to  Strasburg ;  the  postmaster  will 
re-direct  them  to  me  at  Plombieres.  Your  wife  intends 
also  to  take  the  same  waters,  which  I  am  very  glad  of, 
as  she  is  a  very  charming  companion.  Goodbye,  my 
dear  Meneval,  and  my  very  kindest  regards. 

'Josephine.' 
157 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Josephine's  son,  placed  by  Napoleon  in  command  of 
the  army  destined  to  operate  in  Italy,  distinguished 
himself  particularly  in  the  course  of  this  campaign. 
He  soon  penetrated  right  into  Hungary,  where  he 
gained  important  victories  over  the  Austrians.  His 
mother  was  justly  proud  of  his  successes  and  received 
the  following  lines  on  the  subject  from  the  emperor  : 

*  I  send  you  a  few  lines  to  tell  you  that  on  the  14th 
of  June,  the  anniversary  of  Marengo,  Eugene  won  a 
battle  against  the  Archduke  John  and  the  Archduke 
Palatine  at  Raab  in  Hungary ;  he  captured  three 
thousand  men,  several  cannon  and  four  flags,  and  pur- 
sued the  enemy  for  a  considerable  distance  on  the  road 
to  Buda.' 

Three  weeks  later  Napoleon  ended,  by  the  decisive 
victory  of  Wagram,  this  war  which  had  been  provoked 
by  the  Cabinet  of  Vienna.  On  the  7th  of  July,  at  five 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  he  announced  this  great 
achievement  to  the  empress  : 

'  I  send  you  these  lines  to  give  you  the  good  news 
of  the  victory  of  Ebersdorf,  which  1  won  on  the  5th, 
and  that  of  Wagram  which  I  gained  on  the  6th.  The 
enemy's  army  is  flying  in  disorder  and  everything  is 
progressing  in  accordance  with  my  wishes.  Eugene  is 
in  excellent  health.  Prince  Aldobrandini  has  been 
wounded,  but  only  slightly.  Bessieres  has  had  a 
bullet  in  the  thick  part  of  his  thigh  ;  the  wound  is 
very  slight.  Lasalle  has  been  killed.  My  losses  are 
pretty  heavy,  but  the  victory  is  decisive  and  complete. 
We  have  more  than  a  hundred  cannon,  twelve  flags, 
and  a  great  number  of  prisoners.     I  am  very  sunburnt. 

158 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Goodbye,  my  dearest,  I  embrace  you.     Kindest  regards 
to  Hortense.' 

On  the  9th  of  July,  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
Napoleon  completes  his  account  of  these  operations  by 
a  very  short  note  : 

^  Everything  here  is  going  on  just  as  I  could  wish,  my 
dearest.  My  enemies  are  defeated,  beaten,  completely 
routed.  Their  numbers  were  large,  but  I  have  crushed 
them.' 

Following  on  an  armistice  concluded  on  13th  July, 
the  negotiations  set  on  foot  with  a  view  to  the  con- 
clusion of  peace  were  prolonged  for  about  three 
months,  which  Napoleon  passed  at  SchOnbrunn  or 
at  Vienna. 

All  this  time  the  Empress  Josephine,  sad  and 
preoccupied  as  in  1807,  had  been  living  in  retirement 
at  Malmaison  since  her  return  from  Strasburg  and 
Plombieres.*  The  news  which  reached  her  from 
Vienna  was  hardly  of  a  reassuring  character.  Napoleon's 
attempted  assassination  by  a  German  student  named 
Staaps  had  given  her  a  great  shock.  Meneval,  the 
emperor's  secretary,  writes  as  follows  about  this 
attempt : 

*It  is  highly  probable   that  the  signature  of  peace 

was  hastened  by  an  event  which  considerably  disturbed 

*  In  a  letter,  dated  28th  September  1809,  Meneval,  writing  from 
SchSnbrunn  to  his  wife,  expresses  his  astonishment  at  a  rumour 
which  she  had  heard  while  staying  with  the  Empress  Josephine,  and 
which  she  had  lately  communicated  to  her  husband.  According  to 
what  was  reported  in  the  empress*  entourage.  Prince  Eugene  was 
about  to  be  proclaimed  King  of  Poland,  and  Josephine,  it  seems, 
was  inclined  to  believe  the  report,  which  was  not  based  on  any  serious 
foundation. 

159 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Napoleon's  equanimity,  although  he  tried  not  to  show 
it.  One  day  in  October,  at  SchOnbrunn,  while  the 
troops  were  marching  past  the  emperor  at  the  mid-day 
parade,  a  young  man  tried  to  approach  him.  He  held 
in  his  hand  a  paper  which  was  thought  to  be  a  petition. 
Instructed  to  hand  it  to  General  Rapp,  the  aide-de- 
camp on  duty,  he  replied  that  he  wished  to  speak  to 
Napoleon  ;  in  spite  of  repeated  rebuffs,  he  continually 
returned  to  the  charge.  This  insistence  appeared 
suspicious  ;  his  quiet  but  decided  manner,  the  expres- 
sion of  his  eyes,  his  right  hand  which  he  kept  concealed 
in  his  breast — all  these  indications  struck  General  Rapp, 
who  had  him  arrested  and  brought  to  the  castle.  All 
this  happened  without  anyone  noticing  it.  It  was  soon 
known  that  a  large  kitchen  knife  had  been  found  on 
the  young  man,  who  was  a  student  of  Erfurt  university, 
named  Staaps,  only  eighteen  years  of  age.  When 
questioned  as  to  what  he  proposed  doing  with  the 
knife,  he  did  not  conceal  the  fact  that  his  intention 
had  been  to  kill  Napoleon.'  * 

The  dangers  of  all  sorts  which  menaced  the 
emperor's  life  naturally  led  to  ideas  of  divorce  again 
becoming  prevalent.  Napoleon  knew  this  and  did 
not  lose  sight,  as  far  as  he  was  concerned,  of  the 
necessity  of  consolidating  the  empire  he  had  founded 
by  a  new  marriage.  He  was  unwilling  that  the 
question  of  the  succession  should,  as  in  the  case  of 
Alexander  the  Great,  become  the  signal  for  the 
downfall  of  this  majestic  edifice  and  in  view  of  this 

*  Meneval,  Mmoires  pour  servir  a  Phistoire  de  Napoleon  /,  vol.  ii, 
p.  256. 

160 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

he    deemed    It     essential    that    he    should    acquire 
a  direct  heir  to  his  throne. 

As  soon  as  the  treaty  of  peace  with  Austria  had 
been  signed,  the  emperor,  before  returning  to  France, 
visited  Munich,  from  which  city  he  addressed  to 
Josephine  the  following  laconic  epistle  : 

'  My  dear  Josephine,  I  am  leaving  in  an  hour. 
I  shall  arrive  at  Fontainebleau  on  the  26th  or  27th  ; 
you  can  betake  yourself  there  with  some  ladies-in- 
waiting. 

'  Napoleon.* 

The  emperor  arrived  at  Fontainebleau  on  the  26th 
October  at  nine  in  the  morning,  and  not  finding 
Josephine,  who  had  not  anticipated  that  he  would 
be  back  so  soon,  made  her  absence  a  reason  for  an 
exhibition  of  ill  temper. 


i6i 


CHAPTER  XIV 

The  History  of  the  Consulate  and  the  Empire  by  M. 
Thiers  is  interesting  to  consult  on  this  question  of 
the  divorce,  which  has  engaged  the  attention  of  so 
many  historians.  This  remarkable  work  may  serve 
as  a  guide  to  us  in  retracing  the  various  phases 
of  the  transaction,  for,  although  these  are  well-known, 
we  could  hardly  pass  them  over  in  silence,  when 
we  reflect  what  an  important  place  this  period  of 
her  divorce  occupies  in  the  history  of  the  Empress 
Josephine. 

Napoleon  had  arrived,  as  we  have  seen,  at  Fontaine- 
bleau  on  the  26th  of  October,  before  his  household, 
before  the  empress,  before  his  ministers,  before  every- 
body. Only  Cambaceres,  the  High  Chancellor,  with 
whom  the  emperor  had  desired  an  interview, 
had  reached  the  palace  at  daybreak,  before  the 
Sovereign's  arrival.  The  latter  engaged  at  once  in 
a  long  conversation  with  his  most  valued  counsellor 
on  all  the  interesting  topics  of  the  moment.  At 
length  the  question  of  the  divorce  was  broached. 
Napoleon  really  loved  Josephine  and  it  cost  him  a 
great  deal  to  separate  from   her.     The  idea  of  con- 

162 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

solidating  a  throne,  which  he  often  felt  trembling 
under  the  pressure  of  his  greatness,  had  become  an 
obsession.  Josephine's  husband  now  desired  at  all 
costs  an  undisputed  heir  who  should  put  an  end  to 
all  the  rivalries,  intrigues  and  convulsions  to 
which  the  eventuality  of  his  death  might  give  rise. 
The  emperor  on  this  occasion  did  full  and  complete 
justice  to  Prince  Eugene's  loyalty,  his  good  qualities, 
his  modesty  and  his  unbounded  devotion.  He  desired 
to  await  the  viceroy's  arrival,  Cambaceres  having 
declined  any  mission  of  this  nature,  with  a  view  to  his 
preparing  Josephine  for  the  painful  ordeal  of  a  separa- 
tion which  had  become  necessary.  Till  then  Napoleon 
expected  that  no  one  should  make  the  slightest  allusion 
to  the  matter  in  the  empress'  presence ;  the  most 
rigid  secrecy  regarding  the  project  was  to  be  scrupulously 
observed.  Cambaceres,  who  was  sincerely  attached 
to  Josephine,  learned  this  serious  resolve  with  regret. 
Napoleon's  old  counsellor  understood  perfectly  that 
in  separating  from  her  the  emperor  was  about  to 
break  with  the  whole  of  his  past.  He  told  himself 
that  Napoleon,  instead  of  remaining  the  popular  ruler, 
inheritor  and  defender  of  the  healthy  ideas  and  wise 
principles  of  the  Revolution,  would  displease  a  whole 
legion  of  functionaries,  military  and  civil,  who  would 
look  forward  with  but  little  enthusiasm  to  the  im- 
pending re-establishment  of  a  purely  aristocratic 
sovereignty. 

Although  Prince  Cambaceres  has  mentioned  in  his 
writings  that  in  the  course  of  this  interview  Napoleon 
seemed  to  be  chiefly  taken  up  with  his  own  greatness, 

163 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

and  appeared  as  it  were  to  be  ^  striding  up  and  down  in 
the  midst  of  his  glory ^  the  High  Chancellor  dared 
nevertheless  to  formulate  certain  arguments  destined 
to  raise  doubts  in  his  master's  mind  as  to  the  ex- 
pediency of  a  divorce.  Josephine,  according  to  him, 
was  popular,  and  the  military  chiefs  especially  were 
attached  by  long  established  custom  to  their  general's 
consort,  who  for  many  years  past  had  been  in 
the  habit  of  doing  them  numerous  services.  All 
those  who  came  in  contact  with  her  had  learned 
to  appreciate,  in  various  circumstances,  her  benevolence 
and  extreme  kindliness.  On  the  other  hand,  to  seek 
a  fresh  union  with  a  princess  born  on  the  steps  of  a 
throne,  whether  that  of  Germany  or  of  Russia,  was  to 
approach  perhaps  more  closely  than  was  advisable  to 
the  ancien  rSgime,  The  choice,  which  would  have 
to  be  made  in  the  family  of  one  or  the  other  of 
the  sovereigns  of  these  great  States,  would  become, 
for  the  one  whose  alliance  Napoleon  might  appear 
to  be  disdaining,  a  subject  for  displeasure  or  even 
for  rancour.  Such  were,  or  probably  were,  the 
arguments  used  by  Cambaceres  against  the  advisability 
of  a  divorce  :  but  the  attempt  to  influence  Napoleon's 
decision  was  a  vain  one  and  he  preferred  to  close 
the  discussion. 

Josephine,  as  we  have  had  the  opportunity  of  obser- 
ving, had  long  been  expecting  the  painful  ordeal  which 
awaited  her  ;  but,  in  spite  of  the  feverish  anxiety 
which  this  menace,  hanging  over  her  head,  had  caused 
her  on  several  occasions,  she  always  consoled  herself 
with  the  hope  that  the  evil  day  would  be  indefinitely 

164 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

postponed,  or  might  perhaps  be  avoided  altogether. 
There  is  always  the  tendency  to  believe  that  what 
one  wishes  for  will  come  to  pass  ! 

The  empress'  perplexities  and  sorrows  had  however 
become  intensified.  She  foresaw,  with  that  peculiarly 
delicate  and  subtle  perception  which,  belongs  to  the 
feminine  nature,  and  before  any  really  disquieting 
word  had  been  pronounced,  that  the  critical  hour  was 
at  hand  and  her  fate  about  to  be  decided.  Her 
daughter  Hortense,  who  shared  her  anxiety,  had 
hastened  to  her  mother's  side  to  cheer  and  comfort 
her  ;  like  Josephine,  she  had  a  presentiment,  though 
unwilling  as  yet  to  believe  it,  of  the  catastrophe  of 
which  her  mother  was  to  become  the  victim. 

On  the  14th  of  November  Napoleon  returned  from 
Fontainebleau  to  Paris,  where  he  made  his  entry  on 
horseback.  His  resolve  to  separate  from  Josephine 
was  irrevocably  fixed.  He  only  awaited  Prince 
Eugene's  arrival  to  tell  him  everything  ;  but  he  meant 
to  couch  the  deed  of  divorce  in  the  most  affectionate 
terms,  and  the  most  honourable  for  the  Empress 
Josephine.  As  M.  Thiers  has  said,  he  would  hear 
of  nothing  which  could  in  any  way  resemble  a  repudia- 
tion and  would  only  admit  a  simple  dissolution  of 
the  conjugal  tie  based  on  mutual  consent,  a  consent 
itself  based  on  the  interests  of  the  Empire.  * 

'When    Napoleon  had  decided,   on  his  return  to 

Fontainebleau  at  the  end  of  1809,'  writes  his  private 

secretary  in  his  Mimoires^  '  to  take  in  hand  this  grave 

matter  (of  the   divorce),  he  gave  the  empress   some 

*  Thiers,  Histoire  du  Consulat  et  de  V Empire. 

165 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

hints  as  to  the  separation  that  he  was  contemplating,  a 
few  weeks  before  the  painful  sacrifice  would  have  to  be 
consummated.  This  he  did  without  explaining  himself 
distinctly,  and  rather  by  innuendos  calculated  to  make 
her  reflect  than  by  any  explicit  remarks.  Napoleon, 
whom  many  have  looked  upon  as  merciless,  feared 
the  sight  of  tears  and  suffering,  which  indeed 
exercised  an  almost  irresistible  influence  over  him. 
I  have  often  seen  him,  after  scenes  of  jealousy  caused 
by  Josephine's  always  anxious  affection,  so  disturbed 
in  mind  that  he  remained  for  hours,  half  reclining  on 
the  sofa  in  his  study,  a  prey  to  silent  emotion  and 
unable  to  resume  his  work.'  * 

As  the  reader  knows,  the  empress  only  arrived  at 
Fontainebleau  some  hours  after  her  husband.  '  This 
want  of  punctuality,'  says  Bausset,  the  chamberlain  of 
the  palace, '  occasioned  somewhat  of  a  scene.  Napoleon 
reproaching  her  for  her  conduct.'  'The  empress,' 
however,  adds  M.  Aubenas,  '  appeared  so  happy  at 
seeing  him  again,  that  he  resumed  his  affectionate  tone, 
though  unable  or  rather  unwilling  to  disguise  from  her 
that  his  mind  was  engrossed  with  other  thoughts. 
Josephine  experienced  from  this  moment  a  heart- 
sinking  which  was  a  presentiment  of  the  danger 
that  threatened  her.  During  the  first  days  of  their 
joint  life  at  Fontainebleau  other  symptoms  contributed 
to  alarm  her  tender  heart.'  f 

'  An  unwonted  coldness '  ;  writes  Napoleon's 
private  secretary,  who  knew  his  master's  plans,  'the 

*  Meneval,  Memoires,  vol.  ii,  p.  284. 
I  Aubenas,  vol.  i,  p.  451. 

166 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

closing  of  the  communications  which  had  up  till 
now  remained  open  between  their  apartments  ;  the 
rarity  and  briefness  of  the  moments  which  the  emperor 
vouchsafed  to  her ;  some  passing  storms,  though 
provoked  by  the  slightest  pretexts,  which  troubled 
this  usually  peaceable  household  ;  the  arrival  in  succes- 
sion of  the  allied  sovereigns,  whose  presence  she  sought 
in  vain  to  interpret  :  all  these  things  caused  the 
Empress  Josephine  the  liveliest  apprehensions.  In  her 
excessive  absorption  of  mind  she  came  continually  to 
consult  me.  I  could  only  give  her  evasive  answers.  My 
r61e  was  becoming  embarrassing,  and  in  order  to  escape 
her  questions  I  was  obliged  to  keep  out  of  her  way. 
But  these  persevering  efforts  of  mine  to  avoid  what  I 
can  only  term  her  morbid  attacks  seemed  to  her 
more  significant  than  words.  Her  anxiety  reached  its 
highest  pitch.  She  did  not  dare  to  broach  this  burning 
question,  when  she  obtained  a  moment's  speech  with 
the  emperor,  for  fear  he  might  pronounce  the  fatal 
verdict.  This  state  of  affairs  was  too  acute  to  last  long  ; 
it  had  introduced  into  their  daily  intercourse  a  constraint 
which  was  a  torment  to  them  both.'  * 

This  painful  state  of  affairs  could  not,  indeed,  be 
prolonged  indefinitely,  and  Napoleon  pronounced  the 
fatal  words  which  were  to  put  an  end  to  it  before  the 
commencement  of  December  1809. 

'A  few  days  before,'   M.  de  Lavalette  relates,  'the 

emperor  had  summoned  me.     He  was  anxious  that 

a  friend  of  the  empress  should  render  less  bitter  the 

cup  which  was  to  be  presented  to  her  ;  his  thoughts 

*   M^neval,  Mmoires,  vol.  ii,  p.  287. 

167 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

turned  to  me  :  "  The  nation,"  he  said,  "  has  done 
so  much  for  me,  that  I  owe  it  the  sacrifice  of  my 
dearest  affections.  Eugene  is  not  young  enough  to 
allow  of  my  regarding  him  as  my  successor :  I  am 
not  old  enough  not  to  hope  to  have  children,  and 
yet  I  cannot  hope  to  have  any  from  her  ;  the  peace 
of  France  requires  that  1  should  choose  another 
consort.  For  some  months  past  the  empress  has 
been  living  in  the  torments  of  uncertainty.  All 
arrangements  have  been  completed  for  a  new  alliance. 
You  are  her  niece's  husband  ;  she  honours  you  with 
her  esteem  ;  will  you  take  it  upon  you  to  announce 
this  sad  news  to  her  and  to  prepare  her  for  her  new 
destiny  ?  "  '  * 

Lavalette  proved  just  as  unwilling  as  Cambacer^s 
to  undertake  this  most  painful  of  all  missions  ;  he 
adds  however  that  the  emperor  did  not  take  his 
refusal  amiss.  Another  person,  whose  name 
Napoleon's  ex-aide-de-camp  abstains  from  mentioning, 
is  supposed  to  have  been  invited  by  the  emperor  to 
do  this  disagreeable  service  for  him,  but  we  have  reason 
to  think  that  this  is  to  be  viewed  rather  as  an 
hypothesis  than  as  an  established  fact. 

The  fateful  day  arrived  at  last  ;  it  was,  says  M. 
Aubenas,  Thursday,  the  30th  November  1809. 
Napoleon's  private  secretary  gives  the  following 
account  of  the  occurrence  : 

^  At  last  the  emperor  could  hold  out  no  longer,  and  one 

evening  after  an  unusually  melancholy  and  silent  repast 

he  broke  the  ice.*     According  to  Michaud's  Biography^ 

*  M6neval,  Memoires,  vol.  ii,  p.  287. 

168 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

an  historical  work  of  genuine  worth  and  well 
supported  by  documentary  evidence,  the  dialogue 
between  Napoleon  and  Josephine  took  place,  after 
the  emperor  had  dismissed  all  the  persons  present, 
as  follows  : 

"Josephine,  my  dear  Josephine,  you  know  how  1 
have  loved  you  !  It  has  been  to  you,  and  to  you 
alone,  I  have  owed  the  only  moments  of  happiness 
I  have  tasted  in  this  world.  .  .  .  Josephine,  my 
destiny  is  stronger  than  my  will.  My  dearest  affections 
must  be  silent  in  face  of  the  interests  of  France." 
— "  Say  no  more,"  Josephine  had  the  strength  to  reply, 
"  I  expected  this,  I  understand  you,  but  the  blow  never- 
theless is  a  mortal  one."  "  I  could  say  no  more,"  Josephine 
afterwards  declared.  "  I  do  not  know  what  took  place 
within  me.  I  think  I  must  have  screamed.  I  thought 
I  had  lost  my  reason  for  ever  ;  I  fainted  away  and 
when  I  recovered  consciousness  I  found  myself  in  my 
room."  *  Napoleon  had  to  carry  the  unhappy  Josephine 
there,  with  the  help  ofBausset,  the  chamberlain  of  the 
palace,  and  of  the  usher,  keeper  of  the  state  papers. 
Moved  to  tears.  Napoleon  murmured  something  in 
justification  of  the  necessity  of  this  fatal  divorce,  which 
had  become  a  stern  and  imperative  duty.  These  words 
were  overheard  and  placed  on  record  by  Bausset,  who 
was  present  and,  unexpectedly,  had  to  play  an  active 
part  in  this  scene.  We  think  it  interesting  to  borrow 
from  his  Memohes  the  circumstantial  and  complete 
narrative  of  this  dramatic  evening  : 

*  Their  Majesties  sat  down  to  table.     Josephine  was 
*  Biographie,  Michaud. 
169 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

wearing  a  large  white  hat,  tied  under  the  chin,  which 
hid  part  of  her  face.  I  thought,  however,  I  could  see 
she  had  been  crying  and  that  she  still  had  difficulty  in 
repressing  her  tears.  She  looked  the  image  of  sorrow 
and  despair.  The  most  profound  silence  reigned 
during  dinner  ;  they  only  partook  for  form's  sake  of 
the  dishes  that  were  presented  to  them.  The  only 
words  uttered  were  when  Napoleon  said  to  me  : 
"  What  sort  of  weather  is  it .?  "  While  speaking  he  rose 
from  the  table.  Josephine  followed  slowly.  Coffee 
was  served  and  Napoleon  helped  himself  to  his  cup, 
which  was  held  by  the  page  in  attendance,  and  made  a 
sign  that  he  wished  to  be  alone.  I  left  the  room 
quickly,  but  I  was  uneasy,  troubled  in  mind  and  a  prey  to 
sad  thoughts.  In  the  ante-room,  which  ordinarily 
served  as  dining-room  for  their  Majesties,  1  sat  down 
in  an  armchair  near  the  door  of  the  emperor's 
drawing-room  ;  I  was  mechanically  watching  the 
servants  who  were  removing  the  dishes  from  their 
Majesties'  dinner  table,  when  suddenly  I  heard  loud 
screams,  uttered  by  the  Empress  Josephine,  issuing 
from  the  emperor's  drawing-room.  The  usher  of 
the  room,  thinking  she  was  ill,  was  on  the  point  of 
opening  the  door  ;  I  prevented  him,  remarking  that 
the  emperor  would  call  for  assistance  if  he  thought  it 
advisable.  I  was  standing  near  the  door  when 
Napoleon  opened  it  himself,  and,  seeing  me,  said 
sharply  to  me  :  "  Come  in,  Bausset,  and  shut  the  door." 
I  entered  the  room  and  perceived  the  empress  lying 
full  length  on  the  carpet,  and  uttering  heartrending 
cries  and  lamentations.    "  No,  I  shall  never  survive  it," 

170 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

the  unfortunate  woman  was  saying.  Napoleon 
addressed  me  :  "Are  you  strong  enough  to  lift  Josephine 
and  carry  her  to  her  room,  by  the  inside  stair  com- 
municating with  her  apartments,  so  that  she  may  receive 
the  nursing  and  assistance  her  condition  requires  ?  "  I 
obeyed  and  raised  her  from  the  ground,  thinking  she 
was  suffering  from  an  attack  of  nerves.  With 
Napoleon's  help  I  took  her  in  my  arms,  while  he 
himself  took  a  candle  from  the  table,  held  the  light 
for  me,  and  opened  the  door  of  the  drawing-room, 
from  which  a  dark  passage  led  to  the  small  staircase  of 
which  he  had  spoken  to  me.  On  reaching  the  first 
step  of  this  stair,  I  observed  to  Napoleon  that  it  was 
too  narrow  to  allow  of  my  descending  without  danger 
of  falling.  He  at  once  called  the  keeper  of  the 
state  papers,  who  was  placed  day  and  night  at  one  of 
the  doors  of  his  study,  opening  on  the  landing 
of  this  small  staircase.  Napoleon  handed  him  the 
candle,  which  we  hardly  needed  as  these  passages 
were  already  lighted.  He  ordered  the  keeper  to  go  on 
in  front,  and  held  Josephine's  legs  himself  so  as  to  help 
me  to  descend  more  carefully.  But  every  moment  I 
expected  my  sword  would  trip  me  up,  and  that  we 
should  all  fall  together  ;  luckily  we  got  down  without 
accident  and  set  our  precious  burden  down  on 
an  ottoman  in  the  bedroom.  The  emperor  went 
at  once  to  the  bellrope  and  summoned  the  empress* 
ladies-in-waiting.  When  I  had  come  to  the  empress' 
assistance  in  the  drawing-room  above,  she  had  at  once 
ceased  her  lamentations  ;  I  then  thought  she  was  ill, 
but  at  the  moment  that  I  was  in  difficulties  with  my 

171 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

sword,  half-way  down  the  small  stair  I  have  spoken 
ofj  I  came  to  a  different  conclusion.  I  was  obliged,  in 
order  to  prevent  a  fall,  which  would  have  been  disas- 
trous to  the  actors  in  this  painful  scene,  to  grasp  her 
more  firmly,  seeing  that  there  had  been  no  opportunity 
of  carefully  arranging  our  respective  positions  before- 
hand. I  was  holding  the  empress  in  my  arms,  which 
were  round  her  waist,  while  her  back  was  supported  on 
my  chest  and  her  head  leant  against  my  right  shoulder. 
When  she  felt  the  efforts  I  was  making  to  prevent 
myself  falling,  she  whispered  to  me  :  "  You  are  holding 
me  too  fast,"  and  I  then  saw  I  had  nothing  to  fear  for 
her  health,  and  that  she  had  not  lost  consciousness  for  an 
instant.  During  the  whole  of  this  scene  I  had  only 
thought  of  Josephine,  whose  condition  distressed  me. 
I  had  been  unable  to  observe  Napoleon  ;  but  when 
the  ladies-in-waiting  had  come  to  the  empress'  aid. 
Napoleon  betook  himself  to  a  small  sitting-room  which 
was  next  to  the  bedroom,  and  I  followed  him.  His 
agitation  and  discomposure  were  extreme.  In  his 
trouble  he  informed  me  of  the  cause  of  everything 
which  had  just  occurred,  and  spoke  to  me  as  follows  : 
"  The  interests  of  France  and  of  my  dynasty  have  done 
violence  to  my  affections  .  .  .  divorce  has  become  a  stern 
duty  for  me  ...  I  am  the  more  grieved  at  the  scene 
which  Josephine  has  just  made  .  .  .  that  she  must  have 
known  from  Hortense  three  days  ago  .  .  .  the  un- 
fortunate necessity  which  condemns  me  to  separate 
from  her  ...  I  pity  her  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart, 
but  I  thought  she  had  more  character  .  .  .  and  I  was 
not  prepared  for  such  an  outburst  of  grief."  .  .  . 

172 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

'  Indeed  the  emotion  which  mastered  him  forced  him 
to  make  a  long  pause  to  recover  his  breath  between 
each  sentence  'he  uttered.  The  words  came  with 
difficulty  and  without  coherence  ;  his  voice  was 
tremulous  and  inarticulate,  and  his  eyes  were  wet 
with  tears.  The  truth  is  he  must  have  been  really 
distracted  to  give  so  many  details  to  me,  who  was  so 
far  removed  from  his  counsels  and  his  confidence. 
The  whole  scene  did  not  last  more  than  seven 
or  eight  minutes.'  *  .  .  . 

Queen  Hortense,  always  full  of  devotion  to  her 
mother,  hastened  to  her  side  and  lavished  her  tenderest 
care  and  sympathy  upon  her.  They  mingled  their 
tears,  and  the  unfortunate  Josephine  gradually  re- 
covered a  certain  degree  of  serenity  and  resignation. 
Napoleon  himself,  unable  to  bear  the  sight  of 
Josephine's  tears,  also  showered  on  her  all  sorts  of 
attentions  and  tokens  of  his  regard. 

*  Bausset,  Memoires  anecdotiques  sur  Pinterieur  du  Palais  Imperial, 
vol.  i,  pp.  370,  371,  372. 


173 


CHAPTER   XV 

Although  Josephine  partially  regained  her  composure 
during  the  following  days,  sustained  as  she  was  by  her 
daughter's  exquisite  tenderness  and  sympathy,  and  by 
the  affectionate  attentions  now  lavished  on  her  by 
Napoleon,  she  nevertheless  awaited  with  impatience 
the  arrival  of  her  son  Eugene.  The  latter,  warned  by 
the  emperor's  orders  of  the  painful  mission  to  his 
mother  he  would  have  to  undertake,  had  addressed 
the  following  letter  to  Napoleon  : 

'  My  mother  and  I  must  shew  the  world  a  noble 
example  of  courage  and  resignation  in  this  matter. 
Such  an  example  I  shall  give  ;  this  is  all  I  can  say 
and  is  surely  all  you  can  demand  from  me.  A  respect- 
ful son  and  obedient  subject,  I  shall  never  forget  that 
you  are  my  Emperor  and  my  father.' 

Calmer  and  more  master  of  himself  than  his  sister 
Hortense,  who  had  not  hesitated  after  the  scene  of 
30th  November  to  reproach  Napoleon  for  his  in- 
gratitude. Prince  Eugene  was  nevertheless  profoundly 
affected  by  these  events.  So  long  as  he  had  not  arrived, 
so  long  as  Josephine  could  still  entertain  even  the 
faintest  hope  that  she  might  be  spared  from  drinking 

174 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

the  cup  that  was  being  presented  to  her,  she  still 
trusted  she  might  be  able  to  avoid  her  fate.  In  the 
midst  of  the  lamentations  which  her  sorrow  drew  from 
her,  she  was  often  heard  to  exclaim  :  "  I  cannot  let 
myself  be  sacrificed  without  an  attempt  to  escape  from 
this  cruel  fate  !  " 

When  Prince  Eugene  reached  Paris  from  Milan 
on  the  9th  December,  the  rumour  of  what  had  just 
happened  at  the  Tuileries  had  already  spread  among 
the  public.  In  a  conversation  with  the  emperor, 
Josephine  is  said  to  have  declared  that  she  did  not 
regret  the  loss  of  her  throne,  for  she  had  always 
regretted  having  ascended  it,  but  her  sole  grief  was  in 
the  prospect  of  being  separated  from  the  emperor. 
The  latter  is  said  to  have  replied  :  "  Do  not  try  to 
move  me  ;  I  love  you  always.  Politics  have  no  heart, 
they  have  only  a  head.  I  will  give  you  five  millions 
a  year  and  a  kingdom,  with  Rome  as  your  capital." 
It  is  curious  to  remark  that  Rome  always  suggested 
itself  to  Napoleon's  mind  when  he  was  anxious  to  give 
a  signal  proof  of  affection  to  any  one  who  was  specially 
dear  to  him.  Later  on,  it  was  his  son  whom  he 
proclaimed  King  of  Rome.  But  j  ust  as  the  morrow  and 
the  future  belong  only  to  the  Almighty,  as  Victor  Hugo 
has  so  well  expressed  it  in  his  beautiful  lines,  so  Rome 
can  belong  to  none  but  the  successor  of  St  Peter.  In 
any  case,  Josephine  cared  nothing  for  any  kingdom,  least 
of  all  for  that  of  Italy  ;  nothing  would  induce  her 
to  leave  France. 

Several  sovereigns  had  come  to  Paris  to  celebrate 
the  anniversary  of  the    Coronation  ceremony.     One 

175 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

would  have  thought  that  Napoleon  was  anxious  that 
some  crowned  heads  should  sanction  the  solemn  act  of 
divorce  by  their  presence.  A  gala  banquet  took  place 
at  the  Tuileries  on  the  3rd  of  December,  before 
Prince  Eugene's  arrival.  Girardin,  in  his  Souvenirs^  has 
described  the  appearance  of  the  imperial  couple  as 
follows  : 

'The  emperor  was  in  full  dress,  with  a  Henry  IV 
hat,  which  he  kept  on  his  head.  His  face  had  a 
worried  expression  and  he  ate  more  than  usual.  The 
empress  was  richly  dressed ;  her  complexion  was 
dazzling,  thanks  to  Isabey's  brush,  and  she  wore  a 
melancholy  air.*  Constant,  in  his  Mimoires^  adds  that 
during  this  evening  Josephine  seemed  more  dejected 
than  she  did  in  the  morning.  The  following  day,  the 
4th  December,  she  appeared  again  in  public,  and  for 
the  last  time  enacted  her  r61e  of  empress  at  a  f^te 
given  in  honour  of  their  Majesties  by  Count  Frochot, 
prefect  of  the  Seine,  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville.  Mme. 
d'Abrant^s,  who  was  present  at  this  ftte,  has  eloquently 
described  in  her  Mimoires  the  effect  which  this  last 
appearance  of  the  Empress  Josephine  had  on  the 
guests  : 

'We  ascended  to  the  Throne  room,'  relates 
Mme.  d'Abrantes,  'and  had  hardly  seated  ourselves 
when  the  roll  of  drums  was  heard  and  the  empress 
arrived.  Never  shall  I  forget  her  appearance  in  that 
beautiful  gown  which  she  wore  with  such  an  exquisite 
grace.  Never  will  the  expression  visible  on  her  face, 
that  face  always  so  sweet  but  on  this  occasion  overcast 
with  the  dark  shadow  of  sorrow,  be  effaced  from  my 

176 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

memory.  When  she  approached  the  throne,  on 
which  she  was  about  to  seat  herself,  perhaps  for  the 
last  time,  in  full  view  of  the  public  of  the  great  city, 
her  steps  faltered  and  her  eyes  filled  with  tears.  I 
tried  to  meet  the  gaze  of  those  beautiful  eyes.  I 
would  have  liked  to  fall  at  her  feet  and  tell  her  how 
much  I  was  suffering.  She  understood  me  and  threw 
me  the  most  sorrowful  glance  her  eyes  had  ever  cast, 
perhaps,  since  her  crown,  now  robbed  of  its  roses,  had 
been  placed  on  her  head.  It  told  of  many  a  grief, 
that  glance,  it  unveiled  many  a  sorrow.  .  .  .  She 
must  have  felt  as  if  she  were  dying  ;  and  yet  she 
smiled.     Oh  !  the  tortures  of  a  crown  ! ' 

Prince  Eugene,  as  we  have  said,  arrived  in  Paris  on 
the  9th  of  December.  His  sister.  Queen  Hortense, 
had  gone  to  meet  him.  Let  us  see  how  Josephine's 
dearly  loved  daughter  conveyed  the  news  to  her 
brother:  'I  met  him  at  Nemours,'  she  writes,  'and 
there  I  informed  him  that  the  emperor's  divorce  had 
been  decided  upon  ;  a  tremendous  sacrifice  which  my 
mother  was  making  for  her  husband's  happiness 
and  for  that  of  France.  It  was  her  children's  duty  to 
follow  her  example,  and  with  the  same  disinterested 
patriotism  my  brother  renounced  the  throne  of 
Italy,  which  had  been  guaranteed  to  him  if  the 
emperor  had  no  children,  and  I  the  throne  of  France, 
to  which,  under  the  same  circumstances,  my  sons  were 
the  sole  heirs.'  * 

Strange  caprice  of  destiny  !     It  was  not  this  much 

*  Fragmentary  extracts  from  the  unpublished  memoirs  of  the 
Duchess  of  Saint  Leu,  (Memoires  de  tons). 

M  177 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

wished  for  son,  born  to  Napoleon  in  iSii,  who  was 
to  be  his  father's  successor,  but  a  grandson  of 
Josephine's,  who,  more  than  half  a  century  later,  was 
to  wear  the  imperial  diadem  !  Providence  thus 
frustrated  the  objects  of  the  divorce. 

On  the  arrival  of  Prince  Eugene  at  his  mother's 
side,  she  informed  him  of  the  imminence  of  the 
divorce.  As  soon  as  he  came  into  Napoleon's  presence, 
Josephine's  son  addressed  him  with  the  words  :  "  Sire, 
permit  me  to  leave  your  service.  ..."  "What!" 
exclaimed  Napoleon. — "  Yes,  Sire,  the  son  of  her,  who 
is  no  longer  empress,  cannot  remain  viceroy ;  1  shall 
follow  my  mother  into  her  retirement." — "  You  want  to 
leave  me,  Eugene  ?  .  .  .  you  !  .  .  .  Ah  !  do  you  not 
know  how  imperious  the  reasons  are,  which  force  me 
to  take  such  a  step  ?  .  .  .  And  if  1  do  get  this  son, 
this  object  of  my  most  fervent  desires,  this  son  who  is 
a  necessity  to  me,  who  will  be  his  guardian  in  my 
stead  when  I  am  gone  ?  Who  will  be  a  father  to 
him  if  I  die  ?  Who  will  educate  and  make  a  man  of 
him  ? "  Napoleon  had  tears  in  his  eyes  while  pro- 
nouncing these  words.* 

Three  days  previously,  on  the  6th  December,  if 
we  are  to  believe  Michaud's  biography,  Josephine 
had  written  Napoleon  a  letter  which  ended  as 
follows  : 

'  Oh  !  how  wrong  you  are  to  act  as  you  are  doing  ! 

Why  do  you  not  reflect  on  the  delights,  in  that  future 

which  so  absorbs  your  thoughts,  of  intimate  converse 

with   a   consort  of  your   own  rank,  your   own  age, 

*  Michaud's  Biographie. 

178 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

who  can  defer  to  your  tastes  and  your  habits,  and 
who,  herself  and  through  her  children,  belongs  to  your 
family  ;  who  has  succeeded  in  living  on  peaceable 
terms  with  your  mother  and  your  sisters  ;  before 
whom  you  can  speak  of  the  past  without  embarrass- 
ment ;  who  understands  your  slightest  word  ?  Will 
you  find  these  advantages  with  a  wife  who  is  a 
stranger  to  your  family,  whom  she  has  perhaps  already 
learned  to  look  upon  with  disdain  ;  who  will  only  wish 
to  see  in  you  the  Emperor  Napoleon  and  the  General 
Bonaparte  ;  who,  being  ignorant  of  the  varied  circum- 
stances of  your  life,  will  always  be  a  stranger  to  you  ? — 
Everything,  even  her  accent,  will  deprive  you  of  the 
charm  of  intimacy.  You  will  cherish  your  recollections 
without  daring  to  confide  them  to  her,  and  there  will 
be  words  that  you  will  be  ashamed  to  use  in  her 
presence,  because  they  will  be  of  disagreeable  import 
to  her/ 

Cambaceres,  who  remained  Josephine's  faithful 
confidant  after  her  downfall,  had  been  deputed  to 
hand  this  letter  to  Napoleon.  The  latter,  with  a  look 
of  genuine  vexation,  exclaimed,  it  is  said  :  "  Josephine 
writing  to  me  !  .  .  .  Oh  !  Mon  Dieu^  what  is  the  use  ? 
My  resolve  is  taken ;  I  am  rendering  her  unhappy  ; 
I  know  it,  but  she  may  be  assured  that  I  sacrificed 
myself  before  I  sacrificed  her."  After  reading  her 
letter  the  emperor  added  : 

"  Tell  Josephine  I  will  answer  her  ;  tell  her  I 
consider  her  the  most  excellent  of  women ;  she  is 
better  than  I  am,  I  protest  ;  she  is  an  angel.  I  am 
amazed  at  my  own  courage  in  abandoning  her,  but  it 

179 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

is  a  necessity — you   know   it    is.  .  .  .  Try    to   make 
her  understand  that  it  is  so." 

An  hour  later  the  empress  received  a  letter  from 
Napoleon,  in  which  frankness  was  the  dominant  note, 
although  mingled  with  an  accent  of  real  feeling. 
He  wrote  : 

' .  .  .  I  am  not  remarrying  for  my  own  sake  ;  I  am 
endeavouring  to  consolidate  the  Empire  I  have  founded. 
Your  son  cannot  succeed  me  to  the  detriment  of  my 
nephews,  and  would  France  be  willing  to  accept  them 
as  her  masters  ?  ,  ,  .  What  would  happen  at  my 
death  ?  Terrible  dissensions,  the  partition  of 
Alexander's  Empire,  civil  war.  ...  I  know  you 
to  be  a  better  woman  than  you  even  know  yourself; 
I  appreciate  you  at  your  true  value.  .  .  ,  You  are 
without  reproach^  and  I  should  be  without  excuse,  were 
I  not  emperor  at  the  same  time  as  your  husband. 
Try  and  resign  yourself ;  look  upon  our  divorce  from 
its  honourable  side,  associate  yourself  with  this  act  of 
abnegation  of  mine  ;  be,  in  leaving  me,  the  noblest 
among  the  mothers  of  my  people.  .  .  . '  * 

This  letter,  in  which  Napoleon  pays  such  a  brilliant 
tribute  to  his  first  wife's  qualities,  should  give  cause 
for  reflection  to  her  detractors.  The  words  :  You  are 
without  reproach^  which  the  emperor  addresses  to 
Josephine,  seem  to  us  to  refute  many  slanders  and 
calumnies  uttered  against  the  memory  of  the  latter, 
unless  one  accepts  the  theory  that  Napoleon  had 
resigned  himself  to  be  either  the  blindest  or  the 
most  accommodating  of  husbands  ! 
*  Michaud's  Biographie. 
i8o 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Cambac^res,  the  intimate  confidant  of  both  husband 
and  wife,  remained,  up  to  the  last  moment,  almost 
alone  in  deprecating  the  divorce  ;  Josephine  said  she 
esteemed  him  highly  because  he  had  never  flattered 
her  and  had  always  told  her  the  truth.  Napoleon's 
first  wife  did  not  like  flatterers  ;  for  this  reason  she 
did  not  care  for  Talleyrand,  who  was  always  obsequious 
in  the  presence  of  authority.  The  Empress  Josephine 
was  sincere  and  loved  sincerity.  She  became  the 
dupe  of  Fouche  because  he  knew  how  to  mask  his 
knavery  under  a  show  of  blunt  sincerity. 

According  to  Michaud's  Biography^  which  contains 
such  curious  particulars  as  to  Napoleon's  relations  with 
Josephine  and  her  children  during  the  period  of  the 
divorce,  M.  de  Narbonne  was  one  of  the  principal 
advocates  of  the  measure.  He  is  even  credited  with 
having  done  his  best  to  bring  it  about,  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  he  owed  Napoleon's  favour,  in  the  first  in- 
stance, to  Josephine's  protection  and  recommendation. 
He  was  perhaps  the  person  to  whom  M.  de  Lavalette 
alludes  as  having  been  entrusted  by  the  emperor,  in  view 
of  his  own  refusal,  with  the  disagreeable  mission  of 
preparing  the  empress  for  the  terrible  calamity  which 
was  in  store  for  her  }  ,  .  ,  However  this  may  be, 
Cambaceres  received  the  emperor's  command  to  arrange 
with  the  ecclesiastical  authorities  for  a  dissolution  of  the 
religious  tie.  The  reader  will  doubtless  remember  the 
nuptial  benediction  which  had  been  clandestinely  given  to 
Napoleon  and  Josephine  by  Cardinal  Fesch  on  the  eve 
of  the  coronation.  The  principal  arguments  adduced 
in  favour  of  the  annulment  of  this  act  were  the  unreality 

i8i 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

of  the  emperor's  consent  and  the  absence  of  the  parish 
priest.  Thanks  to  these  two  causes  of  nullity,  Cam- 
bac6r^s  succeeded,  after  some  arduous  negotiations,  in 
obtaining  the  dissolution  of  the  religious  marriage 
from  the  diocesan  authorities.  As  regards  the  civil 
tie,  nothing  was  easier  to  dissolve,  divorce  being 
allowed  by  the  legislation  of  this  period.  The  Pope's 
intervention  was  therefore  unnecessary,  a  fortunate 
circumstance  for  Napoleon,  seeing  that  he  was  at 
this  time,(  as  is  known,  not  on  the  best  of  terms 
with  the  Holy  See.* 

In  the  meantime  negotiations  had  been  opened 
with  the  Russian  Court,  through  diplomatic  channels, 
to  ascertain  whether  the  Emperor  of  Russia  was 
still  as  favourably  inclined  as  he  had  been  at 
Erfurt,  to  grant  Napoleon  the  hand  of  his  sister,  the 
Grand  Duchess  Anne.  These  negotiations  had  been 
unduly  protracted  and  had  exhausted  the  patience  of 
the  sovereign  of  France  :  he  now  turned  to  Austria, 
whose  favorable  disposition  was  evident.  The  famous 
minister  Metternich  had  just  reached  the  height  of  his 
power  and  had  obtained  the  most  absolute  ascendency 
over  his  master,  Francis  II.  Metternich,  who  had 
become  premier  in  the  place  of  M.  de  Stadion,  had 
been  familiar,  during  his  residence  in  Paris  as 
ambassador,  with  all  the  notabilities  of  the  court  of 

*  The  reader  Is  referred  to  the  interesting  and  circumstantial 
account,  given  in  a  book  by  Mons.  Henri  Welschinger  entitled 
le  Divorce  de  Napoleon  (1889),  of  all  the  very  curious  negotiations 
which  preceded  the  dissolution  of  the  religious  tie  by  the  ecclesiastical 
authorities  of  Paris.  Space  unfortunately  does  not  permit  of  our 
reproducing  the  account  of  them  here. 

J82 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

the  Tuileries,  and  was  secretly  ambitious  to  supersede 
the  Russian  diplomacy  in  Napoleon's  sympathies  and 
to  inaugurate  his  ministry  by  the  latter's  marriage 
with  an  archduchess  of  Austria.  Schwartzenberg,  the 
Austrian  ambassador,  who  was  apprized  of  the  views 
entertained  by  his  court,  was  equally  desirous  to 
promote  the  alliance.  The  underground  workings  of 
the  Austrian  emissaries  did  not  fail  to  accomplish  their 
object.  '  In  the  imperial  family,'  writes  M.  Thiers, 
'  the  whole  of  the  Beauharnais  family  was  in  favour  of 
Austria,  and  on  a  question  which  should  never  have 
elicited  on  their  part  an  opinion  of  any  sort,  they 
hastened  to  form  one  and  to  express  it  with  a  strange 
eagerness.  Their  real  motive  was  the  desire  for  a 
durable  peace  in  Italy  and  in  Bavaria,  a  matter  of  the 
greatest  importance  for  Prince  Eugene  and  his  father- 
in-law.  Although  Prince  Eugene  was  not  destined  to 
occupy  the  throne  of  Italy  if  Napoleon  had  a  direct 
heir,  still  he  was  called  to  govern  this  kingdom  in  the 
capacity  of  Viceroy  during  Napoleon's  life,  that  is  to 
say,  for  twenty  or  thirty  years  (this  was  then  expected 
to  be  the  duration  of  Napoleon's  reign  and  life),  and  he 
was  anxious  that  the  country  should  not  be  exposed, 
as  it  was  in  the  last  war,  to  seeing  the  Austrians  at 
Verona.  Josephine,  who  found  some  compensation 
for  her  downfall  in  the  ardour  with  which  she  en- 
deavoured to  serve  her  children's  interests,  had 
made  the  most  indiscreet  overtures  on  this  subject 
to  Mme.  de  Metternich,  who  had  not  left 
Paris.'  *  Josephine,  as  soon  as  the  divorce  had 
*  Thiers,  Histoire  du  Consulat  et  de  PEmpire,  vol.  xi,  p.  365-366. 

183 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

been  decided  on,  had  asked  the  emperor  for  the 
throne  of  Italy  on  her  son's  behalf,  a  request  which 
Prince  Eugene  had  begged  his  mother  not  to  make  to 
the  emperor  again  ;  the  viceroy  did  not  wish  to  appear 
to  be  receiving  an  indemnification  for  the  Empress 
Josephine's  calamity.  The  latter,  as  M.  Aubenas 
remarks,  her  sacrifice  once  accomplished,  'had  turned 
her  thoughts  exclusively  to  the  position  of  her  children, 
and  the  loss  of  rank  and  honours,  which  she  looked 
upon  with  indifference  as  far  as  she  herself  was  con- 
cerned, became  a  matter  for  sorrowful  regret  when  she 
considered  those  dear  to  her/ 

It  was  perhaps  with  the  purpose  of  serving  the 
interests  of  Prince  Eugene  and  of  her  family  that 
Josephine,  after  her  divorce,  considered  it  necessary  to 
favour,  as  far  as  her  influence  went,  the  emperor's 
marriage  with  an  Austrian  princess.  We  have  found 
evidence  of  her  intervention  in  favour  of  an  alliance 
with  Austria  in  a  passage  in  M.  Thiers'  book  which 
we  have  quoted  above.  M.  de  Saint-Amand,  in 
his  work :  The  last  years  of  the  Empress  Josephine^  has 
given  publicity  to  this  strange  episode  :  Napoleon's 
first  wife  actively  participating  in  the  matrimonial 
negotiations  undertaken  with  the  object  of  fixing  her 
husband's  choice  on  a  new  wife  ! 

Metternich,  eagerly  endeavouring  at  this  period  to 
constitute  himself  the  promoter  and  zealous  champion 
of  Napoleon's  union  with  an  archduchess,  sought  in 
every  quarter,  both  at  the  Court  and  in  Paris,  for 
influential  auxiliaries,  capable  of  furthering  his  views. 
To  have  the  Empress  Josephine  and  her  children  as 

184 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

allies  in  such  a  delicate  affair  was  a  surprising  stroke 
of  good  fortune  for  this  minister.  Metternich  kept 
up  an  active  correspondence  with  his  wife,  who,  as  we 
have  seen,  had  remained  in  Paris.  According  to 
M.  de  Saint-Amand,  two  obstacles  engaged  the  atten- 
tion of  the  Austrian  minister  at  the  outset.  The 
first,  the  most  insurmountable,  that  of  religion,  seemed 
to  have  disappeared  since  the  annulment  of  Napoleon's 
religious  marriage.  The  other,  which  referred  to 
obtaining  the  consent  of  the  Archduchess  Marie-Louise, 
hardly  seemed  a  serious  one  in  the  view  of  the  Vienna 
Cabinet.  One  can  easily  understand  that,  with  the 
idea  he  had  of  his  omnipotence  at  the  Austrian  Court, 
Metternich  flattered  himself  that  he  could  easily 
surmount  this  little  difficulty.  He  was  moreover 
certain  of  the  cordial  assent  of  his  sovereign  to  a 
projected  marriage  which  was  ardently  desired 
by  the  Austrian  Government,  a  marriage  from  which 
the  Emperor  Francis  as  well  as  his  chief  minister 
expected  to  derive  advantages  and  profits. 

A  third  obstacle  had  still  to  be  overcome,  and  this 
was  the  most  dangerous  of  all  :  namely.  Napoleon's 
inclination  and  that  of  several  of  his  advisers  for  the 
Russian  alliance.  This  indeed  was  the  rival  influence 
which  Metternich — aided  by  the  Empress  Josephine  (!) 
— was  endeavouring  at  all  costs  to  conquer. 


185 


CHAPTER   XVI 

It  was  on  the  15th  of  December  1809,  one  of  the  most 
painful  days  of  the  Empress  Josephine's  existence,  that 
the  ceremony  of  the  public  pronouncement  of  the 
divorce  took  place  at  the  Tuileries.  The  High 
Chancellor  Cambaceres  proceeded  to  the  palace,  accom- 
panied by  Count  Regnault  de  Saint-Jean  d'Ang^ly,  to 
fulfil  the  functions  of  registrar  to  the  imperial  house- 
hold. The  persons  present  were  :  The  Emperor,  the 
Empress  Josephine,  the  Emperor's  mother,  the  King 
and  Queen  of  Holland,  the  King  and  Queen  of  West- 
phalia, the  King  and  Queen  of  Naples,  the  Prince  Vice- 
roy and  Princess  Pauline  Borghese.  This  is  how  M. 
Aubenas,  Josephine's  most  reliable  historian,  describes 
this  pathetic  ceremony  : 

Napoleon,  standing  with  his  hand  in  that  of  the 
empress,  those  two  hands  which  were  about  to  be 
parted  for  ever,  read  the  following  speech,  one  full  of 
dignity  and  tenderness,  in  a  voice  trembling  with  an 
emotion  which  was  betrayed  all  the  more  by  his 
efforts  to  steady  it. 

"  My  cousin.  Prince  High  Chancellor,  1  sent  you 
a    sealed   letter   of  to-day's    date,    to   command  you 

186 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

to  appear  in  my  cabinet,  in  order  to  acquaint  you  with 
the  resolve  that  I  and  the  empress,  my  dear  spouse, 
have  taken.  I  am  glad  that  the  kings,  queens,  and 
princesses,  my  brothers  and  sisters,  my  brother-in- 
law  and  sisters-in-law,  my  step-daughter  and  my 
step-son,  who  has  become  my  son  by  adoption,  as  well 
as  my  mother,  are  present  to  listen  to  what  I  have  to 
communicate  to  you. 

"  The  political  necessities  of  my  monarchy  and  the 
interests  and  well-being  of  my  peoples,  which  have 
constantly  guided  all  my  actions,  require  that  after  I 
am  gone  I  should  leave  to  children  inheriting  my 
love  for  my  peoples  that  throne  on  which  Providence 
has  placed  me.  And  yet  for  several  years  past  I  have 
lost  all  hope  of  having  children  from  my  marriage  with 
my  beloved  wife,  the  Empress  Josephine  ;  this  is 
what  prompts  me  to  sacrifice  my  heart's  tenderest 
affections,  to  regard  only  the  good  of  the  State,  and  to 
desire  the  dissolution  of  our  marriage. 

"  Having  only  reached  the  age  of  forty  years,  I  can 
hope  to  live  long  enough  to  bring  up  the  children 
which  it  may  please  Providence  to  give  me,  to 
participate  in  my  thoughts  and  my  ideas.  God  knows 
how  much  such  a  resolve  has  cost  me  ;  but  there  is  no 
sacrifice  which  I  will  not  dare  to  face,  once  it  is 
proved  to  me  to  be  for  the  well-being  of  France. 

"  I  cannot  refrain  from  adding  that  far  from  my  ever 
having  had  to  complain,  I  have  on  the  contrary  had 
every  reason  to  praise  the  attachment  and  aflTection  of 
my  beloved  consort.  She  has  enriched  fifteen  years  of 
my  life  ;  the  remembrance  of  this  will  always  remain 

187 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

engraved  on  my  heart.  She  was  crowned  by  my 
hand  ;  it  is  my  will  that  she  retain  the  rank  and  title 
of  empress,  but  above  all  that  she  shall  never  doubt 
my  feelings  for  her,  and  that  she  shall  consider  me 
always  as  her  best  and  her  dearest  friend." 

When  he  had  reached  the  point  where,  with  a  tender 
glance  fixed  on  his  partner,  he  recalled  in  poetic 
language  the  happiness  that  Josephine  had  given  him 
during  these  past  fifteen  years  (those  years  which  later 
on  he  was  to  count  as  the  happiest  of  his  life),  tears 
came  to  Napoleon's  eyes,  and  he  ended  his  discourse  a 
prey  to  deep  emotion. 

It  was  now  Josephine's  turn.  She  commenced  read- 
ing the  declaration  which  had  been  prepared  for 
her  : 

"With  the  permission  of  our  august  consort,"  she 
said,  "  I  wish  to  state  that,  as  I  no  longer  cherish  the 
hope  of  having  children  who  might  satisfy  the  require- 
ments of  his  political  aims  and  the  interests  of  France, 
it  is  my  pleasure  to  give  him  the  greatest  proof  of 
attachment  and  devotion  that  the  world  has  ever 
known.  ..." 

These  words  had  been  pronounced  with  difficulty 
by  the  unfortunate  Josephine,  whose  emotion  increased 
the  further  she  proceeded  with  reading  the  speech  that 
had  been  prepared  for  her.  Before  half  of  it  had  been 
read  she  burst  into  tears,  and  Cambaceres  informs  us 
that  in  the  midst  of  her  sobs,  she  was  heard  to  exclaim  : 
"  You  see  before  you  a  very  miserable  woman.  ...  I 
am  losing  all  the  peace  of  my  life.  I  shall  soon  die. 
This  divorce  is  killing  me.  .  .  .  Let  them  do  what 

i88 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

they  like,  I  will  submit  to  everything."  *  Incapable 
of  proceeding  with  her  task  the  wretched  woman 
handed  the  paper  to  Count  Regnault  de  Saint  Jean- 
d'Angely,  who  read  the  remainder  of  the  speech  in  her 
stead,  while  himself  unable  to  disguise  his  emotion  : 

"  I  owe  everything  to  his  kindness  ;  it  was  from  his 
hands  that  I  received  the  crown,  and  as  occupant  of 
the  throne  on  which  he  placed  me  I  have  received 
abundant  testimony  of  the  love  and  affection  of  the 
French  people. 

"I  imagine  that  I  am  paying  a  due  regard  to  all 
these  sentiments  in  consenting  to  the  dissolution  of  a 
marriage  which  henceforward  is  an  obstacle  to  the 
welfare  of  France,  which  deprives  her  of  the  happiness 
of  being  one  day  governed  by  the  descendants  of  a 
great  man,  so  clearly  raised  up  by  Providence  to  efface 
the  evils  of  a  terrible  revolution,  and  to  re-establish 
the  altar,  the  throne,  and  the  social  order.  But  the 
dissolution  of  my  marriage  will  in  no  wise  alter  the 
feelings  of  my  heart ;  the  emperor  will  always  find  in 
me  his  best  friend.  I  know  how  deeply  this  act, 
demanded  by  political  necessity  and  important 
interests,  has  grieved  his  heart  ;  but  we  are  both 
proud  of  the  sacrifice  we  are  making  for  the  good  of 
our  country."  f 

*  Michaud's  Btographie. 

■j"  While  this  memorable  ceremony  was  taking  place,  a  dreadful 
storm  broke  over  Paris.  Torrents  of  rain,  accompanied  by  terrific 
wind  squalls,  created  universal  dismay  ;  it  might  be  thought  that  the 
Heavens  wished  to  mark  their  displeasure  at  the  act  which  destroyed 
Josephine's  happiness. — At  Milan,  the  usual  residence  of  her  son 
the  viceroy,  the  same  phenomenon  occurred  on  the  same  day  and  at 
the  same  hour. 

189 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Prince  Eugene  and  Queen  Hortense  evinced,  in 
these  trying  circumstances,  a  nobility  of  feeling  and  a 
dignity  beyond  all  praise  ;  their  devotion  was  admir- 
able. They  upheld  their  mother's  courage,  and  united 
with  a  tender  solicitude  for  her  the  dutiful  bearing 
they  owed  to  their  adopted  father.* 

The  melancholy  ceremony  of  the  divorce  was  ended, 
and  Josephine,  overcome  by  grief,  had  descended  again 
to  her  apartments.  '  The  emperor,'  writes  his  private 
secretary,  *  re-entered  his  study,  sad  and  silent ;  he 
threw  himself  on  the  sofa,  where  he  usually  sat,  in  a 
state  of  profound  dejection.  He  remained  there  for 
a  short  space,  his  head  resting  on  his  hands,  and  when 
he  rose  again,  he  looked  distracted.  The  orders  for 
his  departure  to  Trianon  had  been  given  in  advance. 
When  it  was  announced  that  the  carriages  were  waiting 
Napoleon  took  his  hat  and  said  to  me:  "  Meneval,  come 
with  me."  I  followed  him  by  the  small  winding  stair- 
case which  communicated  between  his  study  and  the 
empress'  apartment.  She  was  alone  and  seemed 
absorbed  in  the  most  sorrowful  reflections.  When 
she  heard  us  enter,  she  rose  quickly  and  sobbing 
threw  her  arms  round  the  emperor's  neck  ;  he  pressed 
her  to  his  breast  and  embraced  her  repeatedly,  but  in 
the  excess  of  her  emotion  she  had  fainted.  I  rang 
promptly  for  assistance.  The  emperor,  wishing  to 
avoid  the  renewed  spectacle  of  a  grief  which  it  was  not 
in  his  power  to  alleviate,  placed  the  empress  in  my 
arms  as  soon  as  he  saw  she  was  coming  to  herself, 
charged  me  not  to  leave  her,  and  retired  quickly  by 
*  M6neval,  Memoires,  vol.  ii. 
190 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

the  public  rooms  on  the  ground  floor,  at  the  door  of 
which  his  carriage  was  waiting.  Josephine  perceived 
at  once  that  the  emperor  was  gone.  The  attendants 
who  had  entered  placed  her  on  a  sofa,  where  they 
gave  her  the  assistance  she  required.  In  her  distress 
she  had  seized  my  hands,  earnestly  charging  me  to 
tell  the  emperor  not  tc  forget  her,  and  to  assure  him 
that  her  attachment  would  survive  every  eventuality. 
She  made  me  promise  to  give  him  news  of  her  on  my 
arrival  at  Trianon,  and  to  see  that  he  wrote  to  her. 
She  was  loth  to  let  me  go,  as  if  my  departure  would 
sever  the  last  bond  which  linked  her  still  to  Napoleon. 
I  left  her,  touched  by  such  unfeigned  grief  and  so 
sincere  an  attachment  ;  it  weighed  heavily  on  my  mind 
during  my  whole  journey,  and  I  could  not  refrain  from 
deploring  the  stern  exigencies  of  a  statecraft  which 
violently  ruptured  the  bonds  of  this  tried  affection,  in 
order  to  impose  another  union  whose  consequences 
could  not  be  foreseen. 

'  On  my  arrival  at  Trianon  I  informed  the  emperor 
of  what  had  taken  place  after  his  departure  and  gave 
the  messages  with  which  I  had  been  entrusted.  Still 
under  the  impression  of  the  scenes  of  the  day.  Napoleon 
enlarged  on  Josephine's  good  qualities  and  the  sincerity 
of  her  feelings  for  him.  He  looked  upon  her  as  a 
devoted  friend,  and  has  always  retained  a  most 
affectionate  remembrance  of  her ;  a  letter  was 
despatched — the  same  evening — to  console  her  in  her 
solitude.  Hearing  from  those  who  went  to  visit  her 
at  Malmaison  that  she  was  sad  and  often  in  tears,  he 
wrote  her  again  to  complain  tenderly  of  her  want  of 

191 


THE    EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

courage  and  to  tell   her  all  the  grief  that  it   caused 
him.'  * 

The  Empress  Josephine,  accompanied  by  her 
daughter,  hastened  to  start  for  Malmaison,  that  retreat 
full  of  tender  recollections  for  her,  and  quitted  the 
Tuileries,  the  palace  which  had  been  fatal  to  so  many- 
crowned  heads,  and  where  she  was  destined  never  to 
return. 

The  Senate  paid  a  last  public  tribute  to  Josephine 
by  voting  the  following  address  to  her  : 

'  Your  imperial  and  royal  majesty  has  just  made  the 
greatest  of  all  sacrifices  for  France  :  history  will  always 
preserve  the  memory  of  it. 

'The  august  consort  of  the  greatest  of  monarchs 
could  not  have  associated  herself  to  his  undying  glory 
by  a  more  heroic  act  of  devotion. 

'  For  long,  Madame,  the  French  people  has  revered 
your  virtues  ;  it  loves  that  touching  kindliness  which 
inspires  all  your  words,  as  it  is  the  mainspring  of  all 
your  actions  ;  it  will  always  admire  your  sublime 
devotion  ;  it  will  ever  accord  to  your  imperial  and 
royal  majesty  the  tribute  of  gratitude,  respect  and 
love.' 

According  to  the  same  author,  the  emperor  came 
and  paid  a  visit  to  the  empress  the  day  after  their 
separation  and  walked  with  her  alone  for  a  long  time  in 
the  gardens  of  Malmaison.  They  both  looked  with 
emotion  on  all  these  spots  which  reminded  them  of  their 
past  life,  from  which  they  were  now  divided  by  an 
abyss.  On  his  arrival  and  on  leaving  Josephine, 
*  Meneval,  Memoires,  vol.  ii,  pp.  293-294. 
192 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Napoleon  shook  hands  with  her  in  a  friendly  way,  but 
without  embracing  her,  and  this  gave  her  a  painful  shock ; 
he  had  ceased  to  be  her  husband  and  was  now  no  more 
than  her  friend.  But  he  exhibited  such  a  warm  friend- 
ship that  he  left  her  more  composed  than  he  found  her. 
He  had  hardly  returned  to  Trianon,  when  he  felt  he 
must  write  to  her  to  raise  her  courage.  The  heading 
of  the  letter  shews  that  it  was  written  at  eight  o'clock 
in  the  evening  ;  it  is  in  a  tender  strain  and  recalls  the 
happiest  period  of  their  union  : 

'  My  dear  Josephine,  I  found  you  to-day  weaker 
than  you  ought  to  be.  You  have  shewn  courage  and 
you  must  continue  to  find  more  courage  to  sustain  you  ; 
you  must  not  let  yourself  become  a  prey  to  a  gloomy 
melancholy  :  you  must  be  contented  and  above  all 
take  care  of  your  health,  which  is  so  precious  to  me. 
If  you  are  attached  to  me  and  if  you  love  me,  you 
should  be  brave  and  resolutely  happy.  You  cannot 
doubt  my  constant  and  tender  friendship,  and  you  little 
understand  all  1  feel  for  you,  if  you  think  I  can  be 
happy  if  you  are  not  happy,  and  contented  unless 
you  are  resigned.  Goodbye,  my  dear  Josephine  ; 
sleep  well  and  dream  that  this  is  my  will. 

'Napoleon.* 

M.  Aubenas  further  states  that,  every  day  during 
the  month  that  followed  the  declaration  of  the  divorce, 
a  visit  from  Napoleon  or  a  letter  from  him  came  to 
console  the  Empress  Josephine.  He  adds  that  she 
required  longer  than  this  to  recover  her  spirits  after 
such  a  terrible  ordeal.      On   seeing  this   continuance 

N  193 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

of  the  emperor's  regard,  all  those  courtiers  who 
took  their  cue  from  the  sentiments  of  their  master 
flocked  to  Malmaison.  It  must  however  in  fairness 
be  admitted  that  a  great  number  of  visitors  came 
there  impelled  by  more  disinterested  and  honourable 
motives. 

'  They  were  anxious  to  give  the  Empress  Josephine 
a  mark  of  affection,  which  with  most  of  them  was  also 
a  token  of  their  gratitude,  and  during  the  earlier  days, 
when  there  was  still  no  gene  caused  by  the  presence 
of  a  new  empress,  every  one  of  note  in  the  nation  made 
it  their  duty  to  offer  their  homage  at  Malmaison. 
Josephine  was  not  insensible  to  these  demonstrations  ; 
but  she  only  derived  consolation  from  the  signs  she 
received  that  the  emperor  had  not  forgotten  her.'  * 

Napoleon,  far  from  neglecting  Josephine,  often  came 
to  visit  her  and  interested  himself  greatly,  as  is  proved 
by  the  letters  he  addressed  to  her,t  in  her  health,  in 
her  means  of  amusement,  and  in  the  maintenance  of 
her  household  in  comfort  and  luxury.  He  endeavoured 
also  to  give  her  good  advice  and  to  console  her  in  her 
perpetual  grief.     He  wrote  her  one  evening  : 

'  I  have  received  your  letter,  my  dear  Josephine  ; 
Savary  tells  me  you  are  always  crying  ;  that  is  not  as 
it  should  be.  I  hope  you  will  have  been  able  to  take 
a  walk  to-day.  I  have  sent  you  some  game.  I  will 
come  and  see  you  when  I  hear  from  you  that  you  are 
becoming  reasonable  and  that  your  courage  is  gaining 

*  Aubenas,  Histoire  de  Pimperatrice  Josephine,  vol.  ii,  p.  483-484. 
I  Twenty-three  letters  from  Napoleon    to  Josephine.      (Didot 
collection.) 

194 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

the  upper  hand.  Goodbye,  my  dear  Josephine,  I  am 
sad  too  to-day  ;  I  long  to  know  that  you  are  satisfied 
and  to  learn  that  you  are  recovering  your  self-possession. 
Sleep  well.' 

On  another  occasion  in  December,  Napoleon  sent 
Josephine  this  short  note  : 

•^  ^  Trianon^  Tuesday. 

*  My  dear  JosepJiine,  yesterday  after  you  left  I  went 
to  bed.  I  am  going  to  Paris.  I  want  to  hear  that 
you  are  cheerful.  I  shall  come  and  see  you  during 
the  week.  I  have  received  your  letters  and  shall  read 
them  in  the  carriage.' 

On  Monday  the  25th  of  December,  before  he  left 
Trianon,  the  emperor  invited  the  empress  and  her 
daughter  Hortense  to  dine  with  him.  The  repast 
was  a  sad  and  silent  one,  and  Josephine's  emotion 
affected  Napoleon  himself. 

'  Business  brought  the  emperor  back  to  Paris,' 
writes  his  private  secretary  in  his  Memoires^  'and 
he  was  astonished  to  find  the  palace,  no  longer 
enlivened  by  the  Empress  Josephine's  presence,  so 
solitary.  He  often  felt  the  want  of  the  domestic 
life  to  which  he  was  accustomed,  and  this  void  was 
not  always  filled  by  the  cares  of  government,  which 
were  multiplied  by  his  growing  activity  and  by  a 
foresight  which  neglected  nothing.' 

The  day  after  the  melancholy  dinner  at  Trianon,  on 
the  26th  of  December,  Napoleon  wrote  to  poor 
Josephine  : 

'  I  was  very  pained  when  I  saw  the  Tuileries  again  ; 

195 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

this  great  palace  seemed  empty  to  me,  and  I  found 
myself  lonely  there.'  Four  days  later  he  wrote : 
^  I  am  sad  at  not  seeing  you  ;  good-bye  till  to-morrow.' 
And  a  little  later,  the  emperor  answered  Josephine, 
who  had  expressed  her  regret  that  his  visits  were 
now  at  longer  intervals  : 

'  1  am  very  anxious  to  come  to  Malmaison,  but 
you  must  be  brave  and  calm  ;  the  page  who  came 
this  morning  says  he  saw  you  crying.  1  am  going  to 
dine  alone.  Good-bye,  my  dear  Josephine,  never 
doubt  my  feelings  for  you  ;  this  would  be  unjust 
and  wrong.' 

But  the  whole  of  the  happy  past,  which  was  recalled 
to  Josephine's  recollection  by  her  stay  at  Malmaison, 
only  revived  sad  thoughts  and  painful  comparisons  in 
her  mind.  She  therefore  succeeded  only  imperfectly 
in  playing  her  part  in  the  irreparable  sacrifice,  which 
she  had  accomplished  in  the  first  instance  with  so 
much  dignity  and  resignation. 

The  emperor,  indeed,  wrote  to  her  on  the  17th 
of  January  1810  : 

'  My  dear  Josephine,  d'Audenarde,  whom  I  sent 
you  this  morning,  tells  me  that  your  strength  of  mind 
has  deserted  you  since  you  went  to  Malmaison.  And 
yet  this  spot  must  speak  to  you  of  our  feelings  for 
each  other,  which  should  not  and  cannot  ever  change, 
at  least  as  far  as  I  am  concerned.  I  am  longing  to  see 
you,  but  I  must  be  sure  that  you  are  strong  and  not 
weak.  I  myself  am  rather  weak,  and  it  is  an  extremely 
painful  sensation.  Good-bye,  Josephine,  good-night. 
Were  you  to  doubt  me  you  would  be  very  ungrateful.' 

196 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Josephine,  alarmed  perhaps  at  the  rumours  which 
were  being  spread  in  her  neighbourhood,  which 
made  her  fear  that  plans  were  possibly  on  foot  to 
make  her  leave  France,  had  written  to  the  emperor 
for  his  permission  to  come  and  live  in  Paris. 
Napoleon  replied  at  once  on  the  30th  January,  to 
put  an  end  to  her  unfounded  apprehensions  :  '  I  shall 
be  pleased  that  you  come  to  the  Elysee,  and  shall  be 
very  glad  to  see  you  oftener,  as  you  know  how 
much  I  love  you/  The  following  day  in  a  second 
letter,  he  expressed  his  meaning  still  more  ex- 
plicitly : 

'  I  hear  you  are  making  yourself  nervous,'  he  wrote  : 
*this  is  not  right.  You  do  not  place  confidence 
in  me  and  are  concerned  about  all  the  rumours  that 
are  spread  ;  this  shows  you  do  not  know  me, 
Josephine.  This  grieves  me,  and  unless  I  hear  that 
you  are  cheerful  and  contented,  I  shall  have  to  scold 
you  severely .'* 

Another  letter  from  Napoleon  to  Josephine,  written 
a  few  days  after  the  ope  we  have  just  quoted,  came 
to  reassure  his  forsaken  wife  : 

*  I  have  told  Eugene,'  he  wrote,  '  that  you  preferred 
to  listen  to  the  gossips  of  a  large  city  than  to  what 
I  said  to  you,  and  that  people  must  not  be  allowed 
to  trouble  you  with  ridiculous  tales.  I  have  had 
your  things  brought  to  the  Elysee.  You  must  often 
come  to  Paris  ;  but  be  calm  and  contented,  and 
have  perfect  confidence  in  me.' 

A  little  later  when  the  new  empress  arrived  in 
France,  Josephine  understood,  with  her  usual  tact,  the 

197 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

propriety  of  going  away,  but  she  would  on  no  account 
have  it  thought  that  her  departure  was  not  voluntary. 
In  fact,  after  spending  a  few  weeks  in  Paris,  Josephine 
decided  of  her  own  accord  to  leave  in  April  for  her 
C  hateau  of  Navarre. 


198 


CHAPTER  XVII 

The  Chateau  of  Navarre  had  for  long  been  uninhabited 
and  was  in  a  state  of  dilapidation  by  no  means  comfort- 
able for  a  person  accustomed  like  Josephine  to  all 
the  refinements  of  the  luxurious  and  well  arranged 
establishments  she  had  occupied  for  so  many  years. 
She  thought  at  this  time  of  going  either  to  Plombieres 
or  to  Aix  in  Savoy  to  take  a  long  course  of  the  waters. 
But  before  this,  tortured  by  continually  recurring 
misgivings,  and  always  pursued  by  the  idea  that  the 
emperor,  to  gratify  the  Empress  Marie  -  Louise, 
would  find  himself  compelled  to  send  his  first  wife 
away  from  France,  Josephine  became  the  prey  of 
a  thousand  disquieting  conjectures.  All  sorts  of 
indiscreet  comments  from  various  quarters  reached 
her  ears,  even  in  the  retirement  of  her  sombre 
Chateau  of  Navarre,  with  more  or  less  fanciful  tales 
about  the  delights  of  the  imperial  honeymoon.  She 
listened  to  these  nevertheless  with  an  eager  and 
painful  curiosity,  though  unwilling,  in  spite  of  the 
tortures  of  jealousy,  to  resign  herself  to  the  loss 
of  the  place  she  still  meant  to  retain  in  Napoleon's 
heart  and  memory. 

199 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

We  do  not  know  whether  the  following  letter, 
addressed  by  Meneval,  the  emperor's  secretary,  to 
his  wife,  and  dated  28  th  March  18 10,  had  been 
communicated  to  the  Empress  Josephine.  This 
letter,  as  the  reader  will  see,  gave  an  account  of 
the  arrival  of  Marie-Louise  at  Compiegne,  in  these 
terms  : 

'She  (Marie-Louise)  has  been  received  in  the 
palace  by  thirty  young  ladies  of  the  town,  one  of 
whom  complimented  her  and  presented  flowers  to 
her.  The  weather  was  wretched  and  it  was  so  late 
that  there  was  no  formal  entry.  This  little  ovation 
did  not  amount  to  much.  The  empress  retired  at 
once  to  her  apartments,  supped  with  the  emperor 
and  the  Queen  of  Naples,  and  went  to  bed  without 
seeing  anyone.  She  was  rather  tired,  having  travelled 
forty-five  leagues  yesterday.  In  my  opinion  she  is 
a  very  beautiful  woman.  She  has  rather  large  features, 
but  in  spite  of  these  being  somewhat  wanting  in 
regularity,  the  general  effect  is  very  pleasing.  Her 
whole  bearing  exhibits  a  combination  of  openness  and 
nobility.  She  is  tall,  with  a  superb  figure,  a  beautiful 
complexion  and  a  fresh  colour.  On  the  whole  she 
is  very  handsome,  and  when  a  few  months  have 
elapsed,  will  be  the  most  beautiful  woman  at  court, 
both  as  regards  her  figure  and  her  deportment.  She 
was  not  greatly  embarrassed  on  her  arrival  at  receiving 
all  these  compliments.  She  was  slightly  agitated,  but 
without  being  the  least  awkward.  She  seems  to 
possess  a  great  deal  of  tact  and  wit.  Her  letters 
to  the    emperor   are    charming ;    she    used   to   write 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

him  pretty  long  ones  every  day,  and  they  were  very 
well  expressed.  I  think  she  is  just  the  wife  to  suit 
the  emperor.  He  seemed  very  pleased  to  give  her 
his  hand.'  * 

If  the  Empress  Josephine  saw  the  letter  we  have 
just  reproduced,  the  last  sentence  especially  cannot 
but  have  made  a  very  sad  impression  on  her. 

Prince  Eugene  had  asked  the  emperor,  in  his 
mother's  name,  whether  he  would  have  any  objection 
to  her  returning  to  Malmaison,  pending  the  com- 
pletion of  the  improvements  and  repairs  which 
Josephine  had  ordered  to  be  carried  out  at  Navarre. 
Napoleon  had  approved  the  plan,  and  had  directed 
his  stepson  to  inform  his  mother  to  this  effect. 
Josephine,  relieved  from  serious  misgivings,  hastened 
to  send  the  emperor  the  following  letter  : 

'  Navarre,  1 9th  April  1 8  lo. 

*  Sire — I  have  received  from  my  son  the  assurance 
that  your  majesty  consents  to  my  return  to  Malmaison, 
and  is  pleased  to  grant  me  the  advances  I  asked  in 
order  to  render  the  Chateau  of  Navarre  inhabitable. 
This  double  favour,  sire,  dissipates  to  a  large  extent 
the  misgivings  and  even  the  fears,  with  which  your 
majesty's  long  silence  had  inspired  me.  I  was  afraid  I 
had  been  banished  entirely  from  your  remembrance ; 
I  see  this  is  not  the  case.  I  am  therefore  less  unhappy 
to-day,  and  even  as  happy  as  it  is  henceforward  possible 
for  me  to  be. 

M    shall    go    to    Malmaison    at   the    end   of  the 

*  Letter  addressed  to  the  Baroness  de  Meneval  by  her  husband 
(not  published). 

201 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

month,  as  Your  Majesty  sees  no  objection  to  my 
doing  so.  But  I  must  tell  you,  Sire,  that  I  should 
not  so  soon  have  taken  advantage  of  the  liberty  that 
Your  Majesty  grants  me  in  this  matter,  were  it  not 
that  the  house  at  Navarre  requires  urgent  repairs  both 
for  the  sake  of  my  own  health  and  for  that  of  the 
members  of  my  household.  My  intention  is  to  remain 
quite  a  short  time  at  Malmaison  ;  I  shall  soon  leave 
it  to  take  the  waters.  But,  while  I  am  at  Malmaison, 
Your  Majesty  may  be  sure  that  I  shall  live  there  as  if 
I  were  a  thousand  leagues  from  Paris.  I  have  made  a 
great  sacrifice.  Sire,  and  every  day  I  feel  more  and 
more  the  full  extent  of  it.  Nevertheless,  the  sacrifice 
will  be  what  it  ought  to  be  ;  it  will  be  a  complete  one 
as  far  as  I  am  concerned.  Your  Majesty  will  not  be 
troubled  in  his  happiness  by  any  expression  of  my 
regrets. 

^  I  shall  pray  incessantly  that  Your  Majesty  may  be 
happy,  perhaps  I  may  even  pray  that  I  may  see  him 
again  ;  but  let  Your  Majesty  be  assured,  I  shall  always 
respect  the  new  situation  in  which  he  finds  himself,  and 
I  shall  respect  it  in  silence  ;  confident  as  to  the  feel- 
ings which  Your  Majesty  entertained  towards  me  in 
days  gone  by,  I  shall  not  attempt  to  elicit  any  fresh 
proof  of  them  now  ;  I  shall  expect  everything  from 
your  sense  of  justice  and  your  kind  heart. 

'  I  confine  myself  to  asking  Your  Majesty  one 
favour,  namely,  that  you  will  yourself  deign  to  find 
some  way  of  convincing  me  occasionally,  as  well  as 
those  around  me,  that  I  have  always  still  a  small  place 
in  your  remembrance,  and  a  large  place  in  your  esteem 

202 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

and  your  friendship.  This  way,  whatever  it  may  be, 
will  alleviate  my  sorrow,  without,  it  seems  to  me, 
compromising  in  any  way — and  this  is  the  chief  con- 
sideration— Your  Majesty's  happiness. 

'Josephine.' 

The  Emperor  5  reply. 

Compiegne,  2ist  April  1810. 

*  My  dear  Josephine,  I  have  received  your  letter  of 
19th  April.  It  is  not  in  good  taste.  I  am  always  the 
same  ;  men  of  my  calibre  never  alter.  I  do  not  know 
what  Eugene  can  have  said  to  you.  I  have  not 
written  to  you  because  you  have  not  written  to  me,  and 
because  I  only  desired  what  might  be  agreeable  to  you. 

'It  gives  me  pleasure  that  you  should  go  to 
Malmaison,  and  that  you  are  glad  to  go  there  ;  for  my 
part  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  your  news  and  to  give 
you  mine.  I  shall  not  say  more  till  you  have  com- 
pared this  letter  with  yours,  and,  after  you  have  done 
so,  I  leave  you  to  judge  who  is  the  better  friend,  you 
or  I — Good-bye,  my  dear  Josephine  ;  take  care  of 
yourself,  and  be  just  to  yourself  and  to  me. 

'  Napoleon.' 

Josephine,  whose  melancholy  was  profound, 
experienced  an  unspeakable  feeling  of  relief  on  receipt 
of  the  foregoing  letter.  This  is  abundantly  clear  if 
one  reads  the  following  reply  which  she  hastened  to 
send  to  its  writer  : 

'A  thousand  tender  thanks  that  you  have  not 
forgotten    me.     My  son   has  just  brought  me  your 

203 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

letter.  With  what  eagerness  I  read  it !  And  yet  I 
took  a  long  time  over  it,  for  there  was  not  a  word  in 
it  that  did  not  make  me  cry  ;  but  these  tears  were 
very  sweet !  My  heart  has  recovered  its  peace  again, 
and  this  peace  will  never  leave  me  ;  there  are  some 
feelings  which  are  life  itself  and  which  can  only  end 
with  life. 

'  I  should  be  desperate  if  I  thought  that  my  letter 
of  the  19th  had  displeased  you.  I  do  not  exactly 
recollect  the  expressions  I  used,  but  I  know  the  very 
painful  feeling  that  dictated  it  ;  it  was  the  grief  I  felt 
at  having  no  news  from  you.  I  had  written  you 
when  I  left  Malmaison,  and,  since  then,  how  many 
times  I  should  have  liked  to  write  you  !  But  I  felt 
the  reasons  for  your  silence  and  I  feared  a  letter  from 
me  might  annoy  you.  Yours  has  been  balm  to  me. 
May  you  be  happy,  as  perfectly  happy  as  you  deserve 
to  be  ;  it  is  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  that  I  utter 
this  wish.  You  too  have  just  given  me  my  share  of 
happiness,  a  share  very  keenly  appreciated  ;  1  value 
nothing  so  much  as  a  proof  that  you  remember  me. 

'  Goodbye,  Napoleon  ;  I  thank  you  as  tenderly  as  I 
shall  always  love  you. 

'Josephine.' 

In  the  first  days  of  May  the  Empress  Josephine 
returned  to  Malmaison,  while  the  emperor  and  his 
new  consort  visited  the  northern  departments  of  the 
Empire.  In  her  favourite  residence  she  held  a  court, 
where  the  etiquette  observed  was  the  same  as  that 
at  the  Tuileries.  The  emperor  had  desired  that 
she   should   continue    to   receive   the  Court  officials, 

204 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

the  great  dignitaries  and  the  principal  authorities  ; 
it  was  even  a  matter  of  satisfaction  to  him  that  people 
should  frequently  pay  their  respects  at  Malmaison. 

During  his  journey  in  the  northern  provinces 
Napoleon  wrote  to  Josephine  :  '  I  am  very  anxious 
to  see  you.  If  you  are  at  Malmaison  at  the  end 
of  the  month,  I  shall  come  and  see  you.  .  .  .  Never 
doubt  my  feelings  for  you ;  they  will  last  as  long 
as  I  live  ;  you  would  be  very  unjust  to  me  if  you 
doubted  them.' 

The  emperor  kept  his  word,  says  M.  Aubenas, 
but  surrounded  his  movements  with  unaccustomed 
mystery,  in  order  to  spare  the  feelings  of  his  new 
consort.  Josephine  herself  tells  Queen  Hortense, 
who  had  followed  her  husband  to  Holland,  the 
story  of  this  visit  : 

'I  had  yesterday  (13th  June)  a  day  of  happiness; 
the  emperor  came  to  see  me.  His  presence  made 
me  happy  although  it  renewed  my  grief.  This  emo- 
tion is  of  a  kind  that  one  would  wish  to  feel  often. 
All  the  time  he  remained  with  me,  I  had  courage 
enough  to  restrain  the  tears  which  I  felt  were  ready 
to  flow  ;  but  after  he  left  I  could  not  restrain  them 
and  I  was  very  miserable.  He  was  very  good  and 
affectionate  to  me  as  usual,  and  I  hope  he  will  have 
read  in  my  heart  all  the  tenderness  and  the  devotion 
which  I  feel  for  him.'  * 

To    rid   Josephine    of   her   melancholy.   Napoleon 

advised   her  to   visit   a  watering  place,   and  she  left 

at  the  end  of  July  for  Aix  in  Savoy.     After  the  season 

*  Aubenas,  vol.  ii,  p.  513. 

205 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

there  was  over  she  wished  to  go  to  Switzerland, 
which  she  had  never  seen,  but  on  her  arrival  at  Geneva, 
some  ill  advised  intelligence  which  reached  her  from 
Paris  made  her  fear  that  the  emperor  wanted  her 
to  leave  France.  She  commissioned  her  daughter 
Queen  Hortense  to  come  to  an  understanding  with 
him  confidentially  about  the  matter.  The  emperor, 
who  was  not  at  all  of  this  way  of  thinking,  and  was 
only  anxious  to  procure  Josephine  some  entertainment, 
hastened  to  write  and  reassure  her.  He  encouraged 
her  to  go  and  see  the  Viceroy  at  Milan,  but  left 
her  the  choice  between  this  journey  and  returning 
to  Navarre,  as  he  wished  her  to  have  the  final  decision 
as  to  what  suited  her  best.  Josephine,  under  the 
influence  of  the  fear  which  had  taken  hold  of  her, 
gave  up  her  journey  to  Switzerland,  and  hastened 
to  return  to  Navarre,  where  she  spent  the  remainder 
of  the  year  1 8 1  o  and  the  greater  part  of  1 8 1 1 .  It 
was  only  in  1812  that  she  proceeded  to  Milan  to 
assist  at  her  daughter-in-law's  confinement.  * 

In  one  of  her  letters  to  her  daughter  Hortense, 
Josephine  writes  :  'If  the  emperor  asks  for  news  of 
me,  tell  him  that  my  only  occupation  is  thinking 
of  him.*  These  feelings  of  genuine  attachment  con- 
tinued, in  the  case  of  Napoleon's  first  wife,  to  the 
end  of  her  days ;  how  much  she  differed  in  this 
respect  from  his  second  wife  ! 

After  taking  the  waters  at  Aix  in  Savoy,  Josephine 

took  a  fancy  to  visit   Geneva,  where  she  stayed   for 

some  time.     She  travelled  under  the  name  of  Countess 

*  M6neval,  vol.  ii,  p.  362,  Memoires  (published  by  Dentu,  1894). 

206 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

d'Arberg,  which  was  that  of  her  lady-in-waiting. 
Her  son,  Prince  Eugene,  and  her  daughter-in-law, 
who  had  come  from  Milan  to  spend  a  few  days 
with  the  empress,  accompanied  her.  Josephine 
resided  at  the  Hotel  d'Angleterre  at  S6cherons, 
a  village  situated  near  Geneva  on  the  margin  of  the 
lake.  The  empress  travelled  as  simply  as  a  private 
person.  Those  who  had  the  opportunity  of  coming 
in  contact  with  her  at  this  period,  in  the  course  of 
this  little  excursion,  found  her  looking  much  better 
than  at  Malmaison. 

'She  had  grown  stouter,'  writes  Mile.  Ducrest 
in  her  Mimoires^  'but  her  figure  had  lost  nothing 
of  its  exquisite  perfection  ;  her  complexion  was  fresher 
and  not  so  sunburnt,  and  the  inexpressible  charm  of 
her  manners,  the  pleasing  timbre  of  her  voice  still 
made  her  the  most  fascinating  of  women.'* 

The  dethroned  empress  received  on  all  sides  and 
from  all  political  parties  without  distinction  the  most 
sympathetic  reception.  She  was  treated  with  the 
most  respectful  deference,  and  was  profoundly  touched 
at  the  way  she  was  welcomed  wherever  she  went. 
*  It  makes  me  all  the  happier,'  she  said,  '  because 
Frenchmen  are  especially  fond  of  youth  and  beauty, 
and  for  a  long  time  past,  1,  alas,  have  possessed 
neither  the  one  nor  the  other.  .   .  .' 

A  f^te  took  place  on  the  lake  at  Geneva  on  the 
1 2th  of  August,  during  the  Empress  Josephine's  stay, 
and  numerous  craft,  decked  with  flags  in  the  most 
elaborate  and  tasteful   manner,  glided  over  the  blue 

*  G.  Ducrest,  Memoires  sur  Vimperatrice  Josephine.     (Barba  edition.) 

207 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

waters.  Bands  of  musicians,  distributed  among  the 
fleet  of  small  boats,  filled  the  air  with  their  melodious 
strains ;  and  finally,  on  the  approach  of  night,  a 
magnificent  display  of  fireworks  ended  the  rejoicings 
of  this  happy  day.  Mile.  Ducrest  also  relates 
that  a  barque  had  been  specially  decorated  for  the 
empress'  use.  The  other  craft  crowded  round  her 
boat,  but  when  orders  were  about  to  be  given  that 
they  should  keep  at  a  greater  distance,  her  Majesty 
commanded  that  they  should  be  allowed  to  approach. 
"  I  am  very  glad,"  she  is  reported  to  have  said,  "  that 
people  can  see  how  enthusiastic  I  am  about  all  my 
surroundings,  and  how  delighted  I  am  with  my 
reception.     It  is  so  consoling  to  be  loved." 

People  repeated  her  words  over  and  over  again,  and 
shouts  of  "  Long  live  the  Empress  !  Long  live  the 
Viceroy  !  "  resounded  on  all  sides  round  the  empress* 
boat. 

Geneva  society  had  experienced  the  charm  of  her 
sweetness.  Those  who  had  enjoyed  the  privilege  of 
meeting  and  conversing  with  her  were  never  tired  of 
praising  her  superlative  distinction  of  manner  and  the 
extent  of  the  information  she  had  acquired  since  she 
became  Napoleon's  wife.  She  had  herself  said  that,  in 
order  to  become  the  worthy  consort  of  a  hero,  she  had 
applied  herself  to  increasing  her  knowledge  and  perfect- 
ing her  artistic  acquirements.  In  any  case  the  charm 
of  her  conversation  during  her  stay  in  Geneva  agree- 
ably surprised  more  than  one  celebrity  reputed  to  be  a 
good  judge  in  such  matters.  The  poor  were  remem- 
bered by  Josephine  here,  as  everywhere  else.     In  the 

208 


THE    EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

midst  of  the  bustle  of  the  festivities,  not  less  than  in 
the  quiet  of  her  retreat  at  Navarre,  the  unfortunate 
were  always  cared  for  with  the  inexhaustible  benevol- 
ence which  characterised  the  '  good  empress/  * 

Josephine,  however,  not  receiving  a  reply  as  promptly 
as  she  expected  from  Queen  Hortense,  whom  she  had 
asked  to  sound  Napoleon  as  to  her  proposed  return  to 
France,  became  at  last  very  uneasy  at  her  silence.  In 
her  over-excited  imagination  she  became  the  victim  of 
the  gravest  misgivings  on  this  score,  and  on  the  12th 
October  she  wrote  to  her  daughter  : 

'  The  Duke  of  Cadore's  courier,  who  is  returning  to 
France,  has  come  to  ask  if  I  have  any  letters  to  send. 
I  take  advantage  of  this  opportunity,  my  dear  Hortense, 
to  tell  you  how  very  anxious  I  have  been.  Not 
a  word  from  you  during  the  whole  of  the  twenty  days 
you  have  been  away  from  me.  What  does  your 
silence  mean  ?  I  confess  that  I  am  lost  in  all  sorts  of 
conjectures  and  do  not  know  what  to  think.  You 
alone,  my  dear  daughter,  can  relieve  me  from  the 
uncertainty  in  which  I  am  living.  If  within  the  next 
three  days  I  do  not  receive  letters  advising  me  what  to 

*  When  the  Empress  Josephine  passed  through  Lausanne  in  the 
month  of  October,  M.  de  Bude  relates,  in  his  interesting  work, 
Les  Bonaparte  en  Sume,  that  Madame  de  Stagl  made  an  effort  to  be 
admitted  to  an  interview  with  Josephine.  The  latter,  however,  in 
spite  of  her  desire  to  see  that  gifted  and  celebrated  woman,  did  not 
dare  to  receive  her  for  fear  of  displeasing  Napoleon.  *  I  know 
Madame  de  Stagl  too  well,'  she  said  to  her  reader.  Mile. 
Avrillon,  *to  risk  such  an  interview.  In  the  first  work  that  she 
publishes  she  will  not  fail  to  report  our  conversation,  and  she  would 
make  me  say  things  that  I  had  never  thought  of.' 

Josephine  purchased  at  this  period  the  chateau  of  Pregny  near  the 
lake  of  Geneva. 

O  209 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

do  ...  I  will  return  to  Malmaison  ;  then  at  least  I 
shall  be  in  France  ;  and  if  everyone  abandons  me,  1 
shall  live  there  alone  in  the  consciousness  that  I  have 
sacrificed  my  happiness  for  that  of  others.' 

Fortunately,  says  M.  Aubenas,  she  received  next 
day  a  letter  from  the  queen,  telling  her  that  the 
emperor  left  her  entirely  free  to  do  what  she  liked 
best,  to  remain  in  Switzerland,  to  go  to  Italy,  or  to 
return  to  Navarre,  without  even  making  an  exception 
of  Malmaison.*  His  old  affection  had  carried  the  day 
above  all  other  considerations,  and  seeing  the  pain  that 
Josephine  experienced  at  the  mere  idea  of  being  sent 
away.  Napoleon  had  not  the  courage  to  give  his  new 
consort  this  much  coveted  satisfaction.  In  writing  to 
her  mother  Queen  Hortense  had  given  her  all  the 
assurances  for  which  she  so  eagerly  longed  as  to  the 
emperor's  continued  regard  for  her  :  '  All  that  you 
tell  me,'  she  replied, '  with  regard  to  the  interest  that  the 
emperor  still  continues  to  take  in  me,  gives  me 
pleasure.  I  have  made  the  greatest  of  all  sacrifices,  my 
heart's  affections,  for  his  sake  ;  I  am  sure  he  will  not 
forget  me,  if  he  sometimes  reminds  himself  that 
another  would  never  have  had  the  courage  to  sacrifice 
herself  so  utterly.  ...  I  confess  that  if  I  had  to  leave 
France  for  more  than  a  month,  I  would  die  of  grief 

Soon  afterwards  the  Empress  Josephine  received 
from  Napoleon  himself  the  confirmation  of  what  the 

*  *  It  was  an  auspicious  day  for  us  and  above  all  for  the  empress,' 
writes  Mile.  Avrillon,  *  when  we  saw  the  courier  enter  the 
courtyard  at  Secheron,  bearing  the  permission  to  go  and  spend  the 
winter  at  Navarre.  The  whole  household  was  in  ecstasy  and  the 
preparations  for  our  departure  were  soon  completed.' 

2IO 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

queen  had  written  her  ;  he  recommended  her,  however, 
a  little  later  on,  and  by  way  of  change  of  scene,  to  take 
a  trip  to  Italy  and  visit  her  son  and  daughter-in-law. 
At  the  same  time  he  left  her  perfect  liberty  of  action  : 
*  I  would  advise  you  to  go  to  Navarre  at  once,'  he 
wrote  her,  '  if  I  were  not  afraid  that  you  would  find  it 
dull  there.  It  is  my  opinion  that  you  can  only  spend 
the  winter  comfortably  either  at  Milan  or  at  Navarre  ; 
after  that  I  approve  any  decision  you  may  come  to,  as 
I  do  not  want  to  restrict  you  in  any  way.  Good-bye, 
my  dear  Josephine,  try  and  be  contented  and  dismiss 
your  fears  ;  never  doubt  my  regard  for  you.'  In  this 
letter,  adds  M.  Aubenas,  the  emperor  confirmed  to 
her  the  news  that  the  empress  was  enceinte^  of  which 
the  report  had  even  reached  Switzerland,  and  as  to 
which  Josephine,  to  put  him  at  his  ease,  had  been  the 
first  to  write  him.  On  receipt  of  the  emperor's  letter 
Josephine  decided  to  leave  at  once  for  Navarre. 
*  There,  at  least,'  she  wrote  to  her  daughter,  '  I  shall 
be  in  France.  If  it  had  only  been  a  question  of 
spending  one  or  two  months  in  Italy  with  my  dear 
Eugene,  I  would  willingly  have  undertaken  the 
journey,  but  to  leave  France  for  a  period  of  six 
months  would  disturb  all  who  hold  me  dear  and 
would  be  more  than  I  could  stand.  You  will  find  me 
much  altered,  my  dear  daughter  ;  I  have  lost  all  the 
good  effects  of  the  waters.  During  the  last  month 
I  have  become  considerably  thinner,  and  I  feel  that 
I  need  rest,  and  require  above  all  that  the  emperor 
should  not  forget  me.'  * 

*  Aubenas,  Histoire  de  PImperatrice  Josephine,  vol.  ii. 

211 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

In  the  month  of  November  1810  Josephine  returned 
to  Navarre.  She  had  had  important  works  carried 
out  and  had  restored  this  country  seat  to  its  ancient 
splendour.  Mme.  Ducrest*s  Memoires  inform  us 
that  Josephine,  while  careful  to  avoid  introducing 
any  innovations  which  would  be  in  bad  taste,  had 
plantations  laid  out,  marshes  drained,  and  outhouses 
built.  In  this  way  she  was  able  to  give  the  country 
people  enough  occupation  to  cause  the  conditions  of 
poverty,  which  prevailed  in  the  district  before  she  came 
there,  to  disappear.  Amongst  other  improvements 
the  roads  in  the  beautiful  forest  of  Evreux,  which 
had  been  impassable  before  her  arrival  at  Navarre, 
became  by  her  care,  wide  and  pleasant  highways. 
Everything  in  short  changed  its  aspect  from  the  time 
that  her  Majesty  became  proprietress  of  the  ancient 
domain  of  the  princes  of  Bouillon. 

At  Navarre  Josephine  was  the  object  of  respectful 
homage  on  the  part  of  the  inhabitants  of  Evreux,  whom 
she  received  with  her  habitual  courtesy.  Several 
landed  proprietors  from  the  neighbourhood  prized  the 
honour   of   being   permitted   to   pay   their   court   to 

312 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

her.  Mme.  Ducrest  mentions,  among  others,  the 
Abb6  of  Saint- Albin,  a  natural  son,  as  it  was  said, 
of  the  Duke  of  Orleans.  Her  Majesty,  says  the 
author  of  the  Mimoires  above  referred  to,  was 
fond  of  conversing  with  the  .Abbe  of  Saint- Albin 
about  the  Duchess  of  Orleans  and  her  daughter, 
in  whom  she  felt  the  liveliest  interest.  Josephine 
took  measures  to  ascertain  whether  the  pension 
accorded  by  the  imperial  government  to  these  un- 
fortunate princesses  was  paid  with  regularity,  and 
even  wrote,  when  this  was  necessary,  to  the  proper 
quarter,  with  a  view  to  expediting  the  remittance  of 
the  arrears  of  their  pension.  It  was  by  such  means 
that  Josephine  made  herself  generally  loved,  and  it 
is  on  account  of  many  traits  of  this  nature  that 
she  will  be  cited  in  future  generations  as  a  model 
among  sovereigns.  Party  spirit  never  prevented  her 
from  relieving  the  unfortunate,  and  she  maintained 
that  all  Frenchmen  had  a  right  to  her  benevolence. 
The  empress  refused  to  recognize  any  as  her  enemies 
until  she  had  exhausted  all  the  influence  she  possessed 
in  trying  to  do  them  services. 

The  life  the  Empress  Josephine  led  at  Navarre, 
where  she  resided  during  the  last  months  of  1810,  and 
a  great  part  of  the  year  181 1,  was  that  of  a  real 
sovereign.  The  Countess  d'Arberg  had  been  ap- 
pointed by  Napoleon,  in  succession  to  the  Duchess 
de  la  Rochefoucauld,  as  lady-in-waiting  to  the 
ex-empress.  The  emperor,  in  giving  Countess 
d*Arberg  this  post  of  confidence,  knew  that  his  choice 
would  be  greatly  to  Josephine's  advantage.     The  new 

213 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

lady-in-waiting  was  a  clever  and  kind-hearted  woman, 
as  devoted  to  the  empress'  person  as  she  was  to  the 
supervision  of  her  material  interests.  Mme.  d'Arberg 
was  able  thus  to  put  Her  Majesty's  household  on  an 
orderly  footing,  and  to  prevent  the  waste  and  dis- 
order, of  which  Josephine  was  unfortunately  the  too 
easy-going  victim.  During  the  empress'  periods  of 
residence  at  Navarre,  her  birthday  was  solemnly 
celebrated  at  Evreux,  whose  bishop,  Monseigneur 
Bourlier,  was  the  constant  guest  at  the  table  of  the 
illustrious  hostess  of  the  chateau.  The  worthy  bishop 
often  joined  Josephine  in  her  game  of  backgammon  ; 
he  was  an  amiable  old  man,  accustomed  to  refined 
manners,  and  whose  agreeable  society  was  appreciated 
by  all  the  inhabitants  of  Navarre.  The  poor  of  the 
bishop's  diocese  benefited  largely,  it  appears,  from 
the  frequent  visits  he  paid  the  empress,  for  it 
seems  certain  that  he  received  annually  from  her 
hands  a  hundred  thousand  francs  for  his  charitable 
objects. 

On  Sundays  Mass  was  said  in  the  chapel  of  the  castle 
by  Monseigneur  de  Barral,  Archbishop  of  Tours,  and 
the  empress'  principal  chaplain.  In  spite  of  the 
reforms  effected  by  the  Countess  d'Arberg  with  a  view 
to  preventing  as  far  as  possible  *  unnecessary  extrava- 
gance in  Josephine's    household,   visitors   could  still 

*  During  the  residence  at  Navarre,  the  emperor  wrote  to  Madame 
d'Arberg,  recommending  order  and  regularity  :  *  Reflect  that  this 
household  has  only  recently  been  organised.  The  Empress 
Josephine  had  no  debts  seven  months  ago.  Give  to  her  affairs, 
Madame,  the  supervision  of  a  friend,  in  whom  she  and  I  have  every 
confidence.'     (Duchesse  d'Abrantes,  Salons  de  Parisy  v.  204.) 

214 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

notice  an  extraordinary  magnificence  and  a  princely- 
luxury. 

Mme.  Ducrest,  who  on  certain  occasions  was 
Josephine's  guest  at  Navarre,  gives  some  interesting 
details  regarding  her  retinue  : 

'  The  empress/  she  writes,  '  had  behind  her  at 
table  two  valets,  one  Basque  running-footman,  a 
chasseur  and  a  head  butler.  The  dinner-service  was 
usually  of  plate  ;  at  dessert  only  the  plates  were  of 
porcelain,  painted  with  fruits  and  flowers.  On  occa- 
sions of  great  ceremony  a  magnificent  Sevres  service 
was  used,  a  present  given  by  the  emperor  subsequent 
to  the  divorce  ;  the  gold  epergne  had  been  presented 
by  the  city  of  Paris  on  the  coronation  day,  as  well  as 
a  toilet-table  and  a  tea-table,  which  Her  Majesty  had 
kept  at  Malmaison.  She  decided  as  to  the  two  persons 
who  were  to  sit  next  to  her  ;  the  Viceroy  and  the 
Queen  of  Holland  did  the  same  when  they  were  present, 
and  so  also  did  Madame  d'Arberg  ;  with  these  excep- 
tions every  one  sat  as  they  liked. 

*  Lunch  lasted  about  three  quarters  of  an  hour  ;  the 
company  returned  afterwards  to  the  gallery  which 
served  as  a  drawing-room.  The  empress  worked  at  a 
beautiful  piece  of  tapestry,  the  ladies  at  various  sorts 
of  embroidery,  the  men  amused  themselves  with 
drawing,  while  a  chamberlain  on  duty  read  aloud  the 
latest  novels,  travels  and  memoirs.  It  was  there  that 
I  heard  Chateaubriand's  Itineraire  read ;  the  book 
proved  so  interesting  to  every  one  that  it  was  sub- 
sequently read  a  second  time. 

'When  the  weather  was  fine  carriage  drives  were 

215 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

indulged  in  ;  at  two  o'clock  we  were  taken  in  barouches 
with  four  horses  and  postillions  h  la  Daumont 
through  the  beautiful  forest  of  Evreux  or  its 
neighbourhood.  Her  Majesty  always  desired  Mme. 
d'Arberg,  a  lady-in-waiting,  and  one  of  her  guests  to 
accompany  her  in  her  own  carriage.  The  rest  of  the 
household  found  places  in  the  two  other  carriages. 
The  equerry  on  duty  in  uniform  rode  next  to  the 
carriage-door  to  the  empress'  right,  an  officer  of 
cuirassiers  next  to  the  other  door,  while  a  small  escort 
of  this  regiment  followed  the  barouche. 

'The  empress,  annoyed  at  the  etiquette  which 
compelled  these  gentlemen  to  don  their  uniforms 
whenever  she  went  outside  the  precincts  of  the  park, 
thought  she  might  dispense  with  the  formality.  She 
allowed  the  equerry  and  the  chamberlain  on  duty  to 
accompany  her  in  dress  coats,  and  ordered  the  escort 
not  to  follow  her  except  on  occasions  of  ceremony. 
The  emperor  was  informed  of  this  decision,  how  I  do 
not  know ;  he  wrote  at  once  a  somewhat  stiffly 
worded  letter  to  Countess  d'Arberg,  in  which  he  said 
that  it  should  be  remembered  that  the  empress  had  been 
crowned^  that  everything  should  go  on  at  a  distance 
from  the  Tuileries  as  if  she  were  still  there,  that  he  had 
forgotten  to  appoint  pages  when  forming  her  household, 
and  that  he  was  going  to  name  twelve  (which  he  did 
shortly  afterwards),  that  he  forbade  the  wearing  of  the 
dress  coat,  and  that  to  allow  it  was  to  be  wanting  in 
proper  respect  to  Her  Majesty.  Full  uniform  with 
sword  and  cocked  hat  had  again  to  be  worn,  much 
to  the  annoyance  of  the  gentlemen  concerned.' 

216 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

When  the  Duchess  of  Montebello,  in  speaking 
of  Napoleon,  called  him  Monsieur  Etiquette^  it  must 
be  admitted  that  this  nickname  was  deserved  ! 

After  dinner  the  empress  played  piquet,  back- 
gammon or  casino.  She  chose  her  partners  herself, 
and  when  playing  with  guests  did  not  do  so  for  stakes  ; 
the  points  were  three  francs  if  she  were  playing  with 
her  usual  company.  As  has  been  mentioned, 
Monseigneur  Bourlier  often  played  backgammon  with 
the  empress. 

'  At  eleven  o'clock,'  Mme.  Ducrest  relates  further, 
'  the  party  betook  themselves  to  a  small  drawing- 
room  where  tea  was  laid.  After  this  meal  the 
guests  retired  ;  the  empress  stayed  for  another  hour 
playing  patience  and  chatting  with  us.  It  was  from 
these  conversations  that  one  was  best  able  to  judge  of 
the  extent  of  her  information  and  the  kindliness  of 
her  disposition  ;  she  cast  aside  all  reserve.  Some- 
times she  would  suddenly  stop  in  the  middle  of  an 
interesting  story,  saying  that  everything  she  was 
telling  us  would  be  repeated  to  the  emperor  ;  a  very 
unpleasant  reflection  for  her,  as  one  may  imagine. 
He  knew  indeed  word  for  word  everything  that  was 
said  in  these  private  conversations.'  * 

Among  the  sayings  attributed  to  Josephine  by 
Mme.  Ducrest,  there  is  one  which  deserves  to 
be  mentioned  and  which  the  empress  need  not  have 
feared  to  have  repeated  to  Napoleon  : 

'  When  she  ascended  the  throne  she  had  bestowed 
much  thought,  she  said,  on  the  question  of  how  she 
*  Madame  Ducrest,  Memoires  sur  Pimperatrice  Josephine. 
217 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

could  become  worthy  of  her  high  estate,  as  she 
feared  the  emperor  would  be  blamed  if  she  did 
not  worthily  fulfil  her  mission.  "  I  was  sincerely 
anxious,"  she  added,  "to  bring  a  blessing  on  his  reign, 
and  I  used  my  best  efforts  to  forget  myself  and  to  think 
only  of  others."  * 

The  divorce  had  produced  generally  speaking  a  very 
bad  impression  on  the  public  mind.  Benevolence 
and  amiability  are  indeed  the  two  qualities  most 
appreciated  by  the  populace  and  those  which  render 
sovereigns  beloved. 

It  was  principally  Prince  Eugene's  arrival  at 
Navarre  which  brought  animation  and  gaiety  into 
his  mother's  somewhat  isolated  existence.  The 
male  guests,  according  to  Mme.  Ducrest,  'were 
sure  to  find  the  interest  of  the  conversation  heightened 
by  curious  tales  and  authentic  narratives  relating 
to  the  glorious  battles  in  which  he  had  taken 
an  active  part.  The  ladies  were  delighted  at  the 
enjoyable  expeditions  he  organised  with  chivalrous 
politeness  for  their  amusement,  and  with  the  in- 
numerable little  gifts  which  he  presented  to  them 
with  a  grace  which  doubled  their  value.' 

Thus  was  the  time  passed  at  Navarre.  For  the 
amusement  of  the  younger  folks  in  the  empress' 
entourage  small  lotteries,  simple  balls  or  rather  dances 
were  organised  by  Josephine  or  by  the  members  of 
her  little  court.  This  court  was  composed,  without 
counting  the  chaplain  and  the  lady-in-waiting,  of 
nine  ladies  of  the  Palace,  Mmes.  de  R6musat, 
Walsh-Serrant,  Colbert,  Octave  de  S6gur,  de  Turenne, 

2l8 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

d'Audenarde,  de  Viel-Castel,  de  Lastic  and  Watier 
Salnt-Alphonse,  with  whom  was  associated  Mile, 
de  Mackau.  There  was  one  knight  of  honour, 
M.  de  Beaumont  ;  four  chamberlains,  MM. 
de  Turpin-Crisse,  de  Viel-Castel,  de  Montholon 
and  de  Lastic  ;  one  principal  equerry :  M.  de 
Monaco  ;  MM.  de  Chaumont-Quiltry,  d'Andlau 
and  de  Pourtales,  equerries  ;  one  reader,  Mme. 
Gazzani.  The  empress'  private  secretary  was  M. 
Deschamps. 

New  Year's  day  of  the  year  1 8 1 1  brought  to  the 
chateau  of  Navarre  a  quite  unaccustomed  activity  and 
excitement.  The  whole  of  the  Imperial  household, 
the  members  of  the  empress'  court  as  well  as  of  her 
domestic  establishment,  gathered  in  the  guard-room 
to  present  her  their  homage  and  good  wishes. 
Bouquets  and  congratulations  were  offered  her,  and 
Josephine  with  her  usual  graciousness  distributed 
kind  words  and  gifts  to  everybody.  During  the 
afternoon  the  authorities  of  the  town  of  Evreux  and 
of  the  Department  came  to  pay  their  respects  to  the 
empress  and  delivered  speeches  in  her  honour.  The 
civil  functionaries  had  donned  their  gala  uniforms 
and  the  officers  their  full  dress. 

Josephine's  greatest  happiness  was  to  have  her  two 
children  near  her.  Prince  Eugene,  as  we  have  seen, 
delighted  all  the  inhabitants  of  Navarre  by  his  gaiety 
and  high  spirits.  He  was  a  good  musician,  sang  well, 
and  organised  pleasure  parties.  Under  his  direction 
the  guests  went  fishing  in  the  ponds  ;  when  it  rained 
they  played  billiards.    Prince  Eugene  adored  his  mother 

219 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

and  spoke  of  the  time  of  the  empress*  divorce  as  the 
most  dreadful  moment  of  his  life.  Queen  Hortense, 
who  had  had  many  troubles,  was  of  a  less  joyous 
disposition  than  her  brother.  Her  state  of  health  was 
also  not  very  flourishing.  She  was  the  devoted 
companion,  comforter  and  support  of  her  mother. 
'When  Queen  Hortense  was  not  suffering,'  says 
Mme.  Ducrest,  '  she  often  consented  to  sing  some  of 
her  songs  ;  the  ones  she  preferred  were  Griselidis  and 
Partant  pour  la  Syrie,  She  was  good  enough  to  explain 
to  me  how  they  should  be  sung.  Her  voice  was 
pleasing,  though  not  of  great  compass,  and  she  put  a 
great  deal  of  expression  into  the  words.  I  saw  less  of 
her  than  of  the  viceroy  ;  she  remained  a  great  deal  in 
her  own  apartment,  followed  rather  a  strict  treatment, 
and  retired  early.  She  could  not  deviate  from  her 
^  regime  without  suffering  severe  pain  ;  it  was  indeed  to 
have  an  opportunity  of  resting  that  she  paid  these 
visits  to  her  mother.'  * 

The  day  was  now  at  hand  when  the  birth  of  an  heir 
was  about  to  fulfil  the  emperor's  dearest  wishes. 
Some  days  before  this  great  event  Napoleon  had 
written  to  Josephine  :  '  I  hope  to  have  a  boy.  I  will 
let  you  know  at  once.'  The  good  Empress  Josephine, 
once  her  painful  sacrifice  had  been  accomplished,  took 
the  liveliest  interest  in  the  news  that  was  sent  her,  and 
eagerly  wished  for  the  realisation  of  the  hopes  of  the 
man  whose  stormy  destiny  she  had  shared  for  so  long 
a  period. 

On  the  20th  March  1811,  in  the  midst  of  a  grand 
*  Memoires  de  Madame  Ducrest. 
220 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

dinner,  which  the  Mayor  of  Evreux  was  giving  to  the 
members  of  the  empress'  household  and  to  her 
principal  guests,  an  employe  from  the  townhall  entered 
the  banqueting  hall,  bearing  an  official  letter  to  the 
host.  The  man's  face  was  radiant,  writes  Mme. 
Ducrest,  and  he  shouted  from  the  threshold  of  the 
door,  "The  King  of  Rome  is  born  !  "  '  I  am  unable  to 
describe  the  effect  produced  by  these  words,'  she  adds. 
'All  the  guests,  rising  abruptly  from  their  seats, 
approached  the  bearer  of  this  great  news,  all  of  them 
asking  questions  at  once  as  to  the  occurrence  and  the 
effect  it  had  produced  in  Paris.' 

We  shall  continue  to  borrow  some  other  original 
details  from  Mme.  Ducrest's  work,  because  these 
particulars  throw  a  vivid  light  .  on  the  Empress 
Josephine's  true  character.  As  soon  as  they  had  heard 
the  important  news  of  the  birth  of  the  young  prince, 
the  guests  of  the  Mayor  had  hurried  back  to  Navarre. 

*  Hardly  had  we  entered  the  drawing-room,'  says 
Mme.  Ducrest,  '  when  Her  Majesty  asked  us  if  there 
were  any  details  known :  "  I  am  sorry  to  be  so  far 
from  Paris,"  she  repeatedly  exclaimed,  "  at  Malmaison 
I  would  get  all  news  so  promptly  !  I  am  very  satis- 
fied to  see  that  the  sacrifice  1  have  made  for  France 
has  been  of  use  and  that  the  country's  future  is 
assured.  How  happy  the  emperor  must  be  !  Only 
one  thing  saddens  me,  that  I  have  not  heard  of  his 
happiness  from  himself.  But  he  has  so  many  orders 
to  give,  and  so  many  congratulations  to  receive  !  .  .  ."  ' 

Prince  Eugene  arrived  the  following  day  at  Navarre 
and  related  to  his  mother's  guests  the  incidents,  now 

221 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

so  well  known,  to  which  the  birth  of  the  King  of 
Rome  gave  rise.  'Assuredly,'  adds  Mme.  Ducrest, 
'Prince  Eugene  would  not  have  given  an  account 
proving  so  decidedly  Napoleon's  love  for  Marie-Louise, 
in  the  presence  of  Josephine,  if  he  had  not  known 
that  she  had  of  her  own  free  will  sacrificed  her  whole 
life  to  the  needs  of  the  State,  and  that  she  too  desired 
to  see  an  heir  to  that  throne,  which  she  had  abdicated 
with  a  sore  heart  indeed,  seeing  that  she  was  separating 
herself  from  the  man  she  loved,  but  without  regrets  of 
an  ambitious  nature.  This  is  what  several  writers 
seem  to  have  doubted,  and  it  is  important  that  the 
point  should  be  rightly  understood,  for  it  gives  a  new 
justification  to  Her  Majesty  for  her  feelings  of  regret. 
Those  who  have  written  that  she  regretted  the 
emperor  more  than  the  husband  could  not  have  known 
all  that  goes  on  in  a  woman's  heart ;  they  had  never 
found  out  the  depths  of  the  heart  they  judged  so 
wrongly.  We  must  therefore  forgive  them  their 
error,  which,  however,  it  is  some  satisfaction  to  be 
able  to  point  out.'  * 

As  soon  as  Prince  Eugene  arrived  in  Josephine's 
presence,  he  communicated  to  her  the  message  with 
which  he  had  been  charged  by  the  emperor  when 
he  said  good-bye  to  him. 

"You  are  going  to  see  your  mother,  Eugene  ; 
tell  her  I  am  sure  she  will  rejoice,  more  than  anyone 
else,  at  my  happiness.  I  would  have  written  to  her, 
if  I  had  not  been  absorbed  in  the  pleasure  of  con- 
templating my  son.  I  only  tear  myself  away  from 
*  Madame  Ducrest.     M moires  sur  rimpiratrice  Josephine. 

222 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

him  for  the  performance  of  indispensable  duties.  This 
evening  I  shall  discharge  the  pleasantest  duty  of  all, 
I  shall  write  to  Josephine." 

Indeed,  at  eleven  o'clock,  just  as  the  empress  and 
her  guests  were  about  to  take  tea,  a  great  commotion 
took  place  in  the  ante-chambers  ;  the  doors  of  the  room 
were  noisily  thrown  open  and  the  folding  doors  of  the 
gallery  where  Her  Majesty  was  seated  were  quickly 
pushed  aside  by  the  usher,  who  cried  :  "  A  message 
from  the  emperor  !  "  The  empress  and  the  viceroy 
went  at  once  to  meet  a  young  page,  of  pleasing 
appearance,  who  seemed  extremely  fatigued.  It  was, 
says  Mme.  Ducrest,  M.  de  Saint  -  Hilaire,  whom 
Josephine  recognized,  although  she  had  not  seen  him 
for  two  years.  To  give  him  some  time  to  compose 
himself,  she  addressed  him  several  questions  in  that 
gracious  manner  with  which  she  did  everything.  The 
emperor's  page  was  the  bearer  of  a  letter,  dated  22nd 
March,  in  which  Napoleon,  after  announcing  to  his 
first  wife  the  birth  of  his  son,  wrote  as  follows  :  '  My 
son  is  a  big  healthy  boy.  He  has  my  chest,  my 
mouth  and  my  eyes.  1  hope  he  will  fulfil  his  destiny. 
Eugene  continues  to  give  me  great  satisfaction  ;  he 
has  never  done  anything  to  displease  me.'  Thus, 
writes  M.  Aubenas,  did  the  emperor,  with  a 
touching  delicacy  of  feeling,  seize  the  moment  when 
he  was  communicating  to  Josephine  an  event,  which 
must  arouse  her  old  regrets,  to  give  her  son  Eugene 
one  of  those  certificates  which  serve  as  the  testimonial 
of  a  noble  life.* 

*  Aubenas,  vol.  ii,  pp.  524-525. 
223 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

The  empress,  who  had  left  the  drawing-room  with 
her  son  to  study  the  contents  of  the  emperor's  letter, 
re-entered  it  half-an-hour  later.  Her  eyes  were  very 
red  and  the  viceroy  seemed  much  moved.  When 
M.  de  Saint-Hilaire  came,  on  his  departure,  to 
ask  for  Her  Majesty's  orders,  she  exclaimed,  handing 
him  her  reply  and  a  small  case  of  red  morocco  con- 
taining a  diamond  pin  worth  5000  francs,  "There  is 
something  for  the  emperor  and  something  for  your- 
self." Josephine  had  had  it  made  for  the  announce- 
ment of  the  birth  of  a  girl,  and  intended  to  present 
one  worth  12,000  francs  in  case  the  birth  of  a  boy 
were  announced.  But  the  viceroy  pointed  out  to 
her  that  this  present  was  too  costly  ;  that  it  would 
be  thought  she  wanted  people  to  speak  of  her  muni- 
ficence, and  that  it  would  therefore  be  better  to 
restrain  her  generosity,  and  only  to  do  just  what  was 
necessary.* 

*  M moires  de  Madame  Ducrest  (Barba  edition). 


224 


CHAPTER  XIX 

After  continuing  her  stay  at  the  Chateau  of 
Navarre  for  a  few  months  longer,  Josephine  resolved 
to  betake  herself  to  Malmaison.  She  had  always 
shown  a  very  marked  preference  for  this  residence. 
The  empress  was  there  closer  to  Paris,  less  isolated, 
nearer  in  fact,  to  the  Tuileries,  news  from  which, 
as  one  can  understand,  always  remained  of  great 
interest  to  her.  The  pleasantest  reminiscences  of 
her  life  were  there,  and  it  was  to  a  great  extent  on 
these  recollections  of  a  past  happier  than  the  present 
that  she  lived.  Josephine  found  herself  more  within 
reach  of  the  visits  of  her  former  acquaintances,  and  it 
gave  her  pleasure  to  see  more  frequently  a  certain 
number  of  her  intimate  friends,  whose  conversation 
was  agreeable  to  her. 

'The  empress,'  says  Mme.  Ducrest,  'still  felt  an 
attachment  for  the  emperor,  which  bordered  on 
worship,  and  had  not  permitted  a  single  chair  in  the 
apartment  occupied  by  him  to  be  moved  ;  instead  of 
living  in  it  herself  she  had  preferred  very  inferior 
accommodation  on  the  first  floor.  Everything  had 
remained  in  exactly  the  same  condition  as  when  the 
p  225 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

emperor  had  left  his  study  :  an  historical  work  lay  on 
his  desk,  with  a  marker  at  the  place  where  he  had 
stopped  reading,  the  pen  which  he  was  using  still 
retained  the  ink  which  a  moment  later  might  have 
dictated  laws  to  Europe,  while  a  map  of  the  world,  on 
which  he  used  to  shew  the  confidants  of  his  schemes  the 
countries  he  wished  to  conquer,  still  bore  the  marks  of 
some  impatient  movements,  occasioned  perhaps  by  some 
slight  contradiction.  Josephine  had  taken  upon  herself 
alone  the  task  of  removing  the  dust  which  soiled  what 
she  called  his  relicSy  and  she  rarely  allowed  anyone  to 
enter  this  sanctuary. 

'  Napoleon's  Roman  bed  was  without  curtains,  some 
arms  were  hung  on  the  walls,  and  some  articles  of 
male  attire  were  scattered  about  the  room.  It  seemed 
as  if  he  were  just  about  to  enter  this  room  from  which 
he  had  banished  himself  for  ever. 

'The  ground  floor  was  magnificently  furnished, 
containing  a  number  of  tables  of  Florentine  mosaics, 
clocks  of  lapis-lazuli  and  agate,  bronzes  of  exquisite 
workmanship  and  Sevres  porcelain  given  by  the 
emperor.  The  furniture  of  the  drawing-room  was 
upholstered  in  tapestry,  the  empress'  own  work,  the 
ground  of  white  silk  and  the  double  J  interlaced  with 
Burgundy  roses  ;  when  there  were  few  visitors  covers 
of  grey  grogram  silk  were  used.  Josephine's  apart- 
ment was  of  extreme  simplicity,  draped  with  white 
muslin.  Indeed  the  gold  toilet-table  presented  by  the 
City  was  characteristic  of  the  person  who  occupied  the 
room  ;  nothing  could  have  been  found  worthy  of 
rivaling  the  richness  of  this  piece  of  furniture,  and 

226 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

it  stood  quite  alone.  Several  times  Her  Majesty  had 
wished  to  send  it  to  the  Vice-Queen  ;  Prince  Eugene, 
however,  opposed  the  idea  in  my  presence.  It  was 
a  personal  gift  she  had  received  at  the  coronation. 
At  the  time  of  the  divorce  Napoleon  sent  it  her, 
together  with  the  gold  breakfast  service,  and  many 
other  articles  of  great  value  which  she  had  omitted  to 
take  with  her.'  * 

Amongst  the  principal  State  celebrities  who  were 
frequent  visitors  in  Josephine's  salon^  the  one  first 
deserving  of  mention  is  the  High  Chancellor 
Cambaceres,  whose  convictions  had  always  made  him 
a  strong  opponent  of  the  divorce  ;  then  comes  Marshal 
Massena.  The  Prince  of  Essling  had  even  bought 
and  put  in  repair  the  still  existing  wing  of  the  ancient 
castle  of  Richelieu  at  Rueil,  which,  as  the  reader 
knows,  was  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Malmaison. 
Queen  Hortense  often  came  from  Paris  to  stay  with 
her  mother,  and  brought  with  her,  for  whole  weeks  at 
a  time,  her  two  young  children,  of  whom  their  grand- 
mother was  very  fond.f  And  last,  but  not  the  least. 
Napoleon's  pretty  frequent  visits  applied  a  healing 
balm  to  Josephine's  loving  but  ever  inconsolable 
heart. 

Mme.  Ducrest  has  preserved  for  us  in  her 
writings  an  account  of  one  of  these  visits,  always  so 
longed  for  and  so  impatiently  awaited  by  the  empress. 
One  day  the  emperor  arrived  unexpectedly  at 
Malmaison  ;  the  whole  chateau  was  at  once  in  com- 

*  Madame  Ducrest,  M moires. 
j"  The  younger  one  became  Napoleon  III. 

227 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

motion,  while  the  empress  was  in  raptures  :  *  With  a 
delicacy  worthy  of  herself  she  received  His  Majesty  in 
the  garden.  They  sat  down  on  a  circular  seat, 
surrounding  a  beautiful  tulip  tree  in  front  of  the 
drawing-room  windows,  but  placed  at  such  a  distance 
as  to  render  it  impossible  for  a  word  of  the  doubtless 
highly  interesting  conversation  to  be  overheard.  All 
the  ladies  of  the  household,  hidden  behind  the  window 
curtains,  tried  to  guess  from  Josephine's  expressive 
physiognomy  and  Napoleon's  gestures  what  they  were 
conversing  about.  Two  hours  passed  in  this  manner  ; 
at  last  the  emperor  took  the  empress'  hand,  kissed  it, 
and  walked  to  his  barouche,  which  was  waiting  at  the 
gates  of  the  park.  Josephine  accompanied  him,  and 
from  the  happy  expression  on  her  face  during  the 
remainder  of  the  day,  it  was  easy  to  infer  that  she  had 
been  satisfied  with  everything  which  had  been  said. 
She  repeated  several  times  that  she  had  never 
found  the  emperor  more  agreeable,  and  that  she 
deeply  regretted  her  inability  to  do  anything  for  this 
favourite  of  fortuned  Some  months  later  this  epithet 
was  no  longer  suitable  to  Napoleon  !  .  .  .  Fortune 
had  betrayed  him,  only  his  glory  remained  !...'* 

At  Malmaison  etiquette  was  as  rigorously  observed 
as  at  Navarre.  At  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning 
everyone  had  to  assemble  suitably  dressed  in  the 
drawing-room,  where  senators,  councillors  of  state 
and  other  members  of  the  emperor's  and  Empress 
Marie-Louise's  households,  or  other  princes  and 
princesses  of  the  Imperial  family,  eagerly  presented 
*  Madame  Ducrest,  Memoires. 
228 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

themselves  to  pay  their  court  to  Josephine.  All 
the  men  were  in  uniform,  in  the  garb  appropriate 
to  their  office.  The  Empress  Josephine's  chamberlains 
and  equerries  were  of  course  bound  to  follow  this 
example.  Mme.  Ducrest  adds  to  the  above  some 
further  details  :  '  Lunch/  she  says,  '  was  served 
in  the  same  way  as  at  Navarre.  There  were  generally 
ten  or  twelve  guests  invited  beforehand,  or  asked  to 
stay  after  their  visit,  which  they  paid  on  purpose 
early  in  the  day.  On  rising  from  table  the 
company  returned  to  the  drawing-room  ;  the  empress 
chatted  for  about  an  hour,  walking  up  and  down  the 
gallery.' 

M.  de  Bausset,  who  came  to  pay  his  respects  to 
the  empress  at  Malmaison,  was  received  by  Josephine, 
according  to  Mme.  Ducrest,  with  some  coldness. 
She  doubtless  found  this  visit  somewhat  late  in  the 
day,  as  she  had  been  for  more  than  three  weeks  at 
her  country  seat.  M.  de  Bausset  committed  the 
blunder  of  saying  that  the  emperor  had  asked  him 
whether  he  had  paid  a  visit  to  Malmaison.  "  It 
is  probably  to  this  question,"  observed  the  empress 
with  a  serious  air,  "  that  I  owe  the  honour  of  your 
visit."  Josephine  in  consequence  did  not  invite  him 
either  to  lunch  or  dinner  for  one.  of  the  following 
days,  as  she  was  generally  accustomed  to  do. 

The  Empress  Josephine  had  asked  as  a  favour 
that  the  emperor  should  allow  the  King  of  Rome 
to  be  brought  to  see  her.  Napoleon  promised,  but 
was  somewhat  afraid  of  the  emotion  to  which  the 
sight   of  the   child    might  give  rise.     He  gave  way 

229 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

however    before    her    entreaties    and     Madame     de 

Montesquieu  conducted  the  young  prince  to  Bagatelle, 

a  small  pleasure  resort  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne.     This 

took  place    without  the  knowledge  of  the  Empress 

Marie-Louise,  who  was  jealous  of  the  ascendancy  that 

a  woman  of  whom  Napoleon  had  been  so  enamoured 

might  still  exercise  over  him.     Poor  Josephine  could 

not  restrain  her  tears  at  the  sight  of  a  child  which 

recalled  her  past  sorrows  and  the  loss  of  a  happiness 

which     Heaven    had    denied    her.       She    embraced 

him    passionately ;    and    seemed   pleased   to   cherish 

the  illusion  that  she  was  lavishing  her  caresses  on  her 

own  child.     She  was  in  ecstasy  over  his  strength  and 

grace  and  was   unable  to  tear  herself  away  from  him  ; 

the  moments  indeed   during  which  she   held  him   in 

her  arms  seemed  very  short  to  her.  *     This  interview 

took  place,  it  is  believed,  in   1812,  shortly  before  the 

emperor's  departure  for  the  Russian  campaign. 

War  between  France  and    Russia   having   become 

imminent,  the  emperor,  accompanied  by  the  Empress 

Marie-Louise,    started    for    Dresden   on  the    9th    of 

May  1 8 12.     There  Napoleon   held  a  brilliant   court 

before    commencing  hostilities    against    the    Emperor 

Alexander,  a  step  he  had  only  taken  reluctantly  and 

after  much  hesitation.     This  period  of  the  Emperor 

Napoleon's   stay  at  Dresden  marks    the   culminating 

point    of    his    power.       He    appeared  there,    beside 

Austrian      monarchs,     the     King     of    Prussia     and 

the  various   princes    of   the    Rhenish    Confederation, 

*  Meneval,   Mitnoires,  vol.   ii,  pp.   465-466.  (Dentu,   publisher, 
1894.) 

230 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

like  Agamemnon  among  the  kings.  Marie-Louise 
also,  happy  at  finding  herself  again  in  the  midst 
of  her  family,  was  welcomed  with  the  greatest 
marks  of  affection  and  even  of  deference.  After 
Napoleon's  departure  to  take  command  of  the  Grande 
Armee,  Marie-Louise  made  a  triumphal  journey  in 
the  month  of  June  to  Prague,  with  her  father  and 
step-mother,  the  Emperor  and  Empress  of  Austria, 
in  the  course  of  which  she  was  the  recipient  of  all 
sorts  of  honours  and  attentions.  Napoleon's  star 
still  shone  with  its  full  lustre  and  all  the  sovereigns 
of  central  Europe  bowed  before  it.  Marie-Louise 
finally  left  Prague  on  the  i  st  of  July  ;  her  father, 
the  emperor,  escorted  her  as  far  as  Carlsbad,  and 
on  the  1 8th  she  reached  Saint-Cloud.  Almost  simul- 
taneously the  Empress  Josephine  left  Malmaison  for 
Milan,  where  she  went  to  console  her  daughter-in-law 
for  the  absence  of  Prince  Eugene,  who  had  left  to 
rejoin  the  emperor  and  his  army.  She  intended  to 
assist  at  her  daughter's  confinement  and  to  keep  her 
company  for  some  time.  One  would  have  thought 
that  Napoleon's  two  consorts  had  come  to  an  under- 
standing not  to  remain  in  each  other's  neighbourhood. 
There  are  unfortunately  very  few  dates  bearing  on 
the  Empress  Josephine's  occupations  in  the  years  1 8 1 2 
and  1 8 13,  and  her  mode  of  life  during  this  troubled 
period  of  Napoleon's  career  does  not  present  any 
striking  incidents.  The  first  disasters  experienced  by 
the  French  armies  in  the  fatal  Russian  campaign  were 
the  cause  of  the  bitterest  distress  of  mind  to  her,  both 
as    Prince     Eugene's    mother     and    as    Napoleon's 

231 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

former  consort.  At  the  close  of  this  sad  year 
1 8 12,  Josephine  grieved  at  the  same  time  over  the 
country's  disasters,  the  emperor's  misfortunes,  and  the 
dangers  to  which  her  son  was  exposed  ;  she  was  often 
without  any  news  from  the  latter,  involved  as  he  was 
in  the  intricate  meshes  of  that  struggle  which  extended 
even  to  the  confines  of  Europe.  Josephine's  son 
displayed  a  heroic  determination  throughout.  He 
remained  the  most  loyal  and  the  most  devoted  of 
the  emperor's  lieutenants.  In  vain  did  the  enemies 
of  France  approach  him  with  offers  to  recognise 
him  as  King  of  Italy,  if  he  would  consent  to  abandon 
Napoleon's  cause  ;  Prince  Eugene  spurned  overtures 
which  he  rightly  considered  dishonourable.  In  a 
letter  to  his  wife,  the  daughter,  as  will  be  remembered, 
of  the  King  of  Bavaria,  he  exclaimed  indignantly  : 
'  What  times  we  are  living  in '  (alluding  to  the 
overtures  above  referred  to),  '  and  how  the  glory  of  a 
throne  is  degraded  by  those  who  demand  baseness, 
ingratitude  and  treason  from  the  aspirant  to  kingship. 
No,  I  shall  never  be  a  king  1  ' 

The  publication  of  the  29th  bulletin,  in  which 
Napoleon  did  not  attempt  to  disguise  his  disasters 
in  the  fatal  Russian  campaign,  added  to  Josephine's 
alarm  and  grief.  It  was  already  the  i8th  of  Dec- 
ember when  Napoleon,  conquered  by  the  elements, 
re-entered  the  Tuileries  at  a  very  late  hour  after 
having  traversed  the  whole  of  central  Europe 
with  great  rapidity.  In  the  meantime  Murat  on  his 
side  had  abandoned  the  command  of  the  remains  of 
the  Grande  Armee,  which  the  emperor    had  confided 

332 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

to  his  charge.  The  latter,  informed  of  the  departure 
of  his  brother-in-law,  who  was  on  his  way  back  to  his 
kingdom  of  Naples,  appointed  Prince  Eugene  to 
replace  him  at  the  head  of  the  glorious  remains  of 
this  brave  but  unfortunate  army.  The  Moniteur  of 
27th  January  18 13  reported  the  news  of  the  King  ot 
Naples'  departure  for  his  dominions  in  the  following 
terms  :  '  The  King  of  Naples,  being  indisposed,  has 
given  up  the  command  of  the  army,  which  he  has 
confided  to  the  Viceroy.  The  latter  is  more  accus- 
tomed to  high  commands  ;  he  has  the  confidence  of 
the  emperor.'  It  was  always  the  difficult  missions, 
requiring  zeal  and  devotion  in  a  superlative  degree, 
which  were  entrusted  by  the  emperor  to  Josephine's 
son.  His  first  wife  and  her  children  remained  to  the 
very  end,  in  the  days  of  misfortune.  Napoleon's 
staunchest,  most  faithful  and  most  devoted  friends. 
This  will  constitute  their  claim  to  the  undying  regard 
of  posterity,  for  they  never  permitted  their  personal 
interests  to  silence  the  stern  and  imperious  voice 
of  duty. 

Napoleon  spent  the  first  three  months  of  the  year 
1 8 13  in  reorganising  a  formidable  army  in  Paris  to 
cope  with  the  forces  of  the  coalition,  which  had  been 
emboldened  by  the  reverses  of  1 8 1 2.  We  do  not  know 
whether  he  saw  Josephine  frequently  during  this  busy 
and  anxious  period  of  his  life.  In  any  case  Josephine, 
who  had  returned  to  Malmaison,  watched  the  prepara- 
tions for  this  unequal  and  merciless  struggle  with  an 
anxiety  which  can  be  readily  understood.  In  the 
month  of  April  Napoleon,  after  conferring  the  Regency 

233 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

on  Marie-Louise,  had  left  Paris  again  to  put  himself 
at  the  head  of  his  new  army,  which  he  had,  so  to 
speak,  called  up  as  by  magic  out  of  the  ground. 

Amid  all  the  duties  of  his  camp  life,  the  em.peror*s 
constant  solicitude  never  lost  sight  of  Josephine's 
interests.  Having  heard  that  she  had  not  altered  her 
extravagant  habits  and  her  fondness  for  spending 
money,  he  addressed  to  his  first  wife  the  two  following 
letters,  which  have  been  published  in  the  Didot 
collection. 

On  the  25th  of  August  18 13  Napoleon  wrote 
Josephine  : 

'  Put  your  affairs  into  some  sort  of  order  ;  do  not 
spend  more  than  1,500,000  francs,  and  lay  aside 
every  year  a  similar  sum  ;  this  will  give  you  a  reserve 
of  15,000,000  francs  in  ten  years  for  your  grand- 
children ;  it  will  be  pleasant  to  be  able  to  give  them 
something  and  to  be  of  use  to  them.  Instead  of  doing 
this,  I  am  told  you  have  debts  ;  if  true  this  is  very  wrong 
of  you.  Look  after  your  own  affairs  and  do  not  give 
away  everything  to  anyone  who  asks.  If  you  want 
to  please  me,  let  me  see  that  you  have  saved  a  large 
sum.  Just  think  what  a  bad  opinion  I  should  form 
of  you,  if  I  knew  you  were  in  debt  in  spite  of 
a  revenue  of  3,000,000  francs.'  * 

This  letter,  the  emperor's  only  expression  of  dis- 
satisfaction since  the  divorce,  produced  on  Josephine, 

*  Napoleon  always  ended  by  paying  Josephine's  debts  :  *She 
must  not  count  on  me  any  more,'  was  all  he  said.  *I  am  mortal, 
and  my  life  is  more  precarious  than  that  of  others  ! '  And  yet 
Josephine  dreamed  of  building  a  real  chateau  at  Malmaison.  {SaYine.) 

234 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

M.  Aubenas  says,  a  much  greater  effect  than  the 
scoldings  she  received  in  former  days.  She  was  so 
vexed  that  she  became  ill.  The  following  day 
Napoleon  hastened  to  apply  balm  to  the  wound,  and 
sent  her  the  following  letter  by  a  page : 

'Friday  morning,  1813. 

'  I  am  sending  to  enquire  after  your  health,  because 
Hortense  told  me  you  were  in  bed  yesterday.  I  was 
angry  with  you  about  your  debts  ;  I  do  not  want  you 
to  have  any  ;  on  the  contrary  I  hope  you  will  put 
aside  a  million  francs  every  year,  to  give  your  grand- 
daughters when  they  marry. 

'  Still  never  doubt  my  friendship  for  you,  and  do 
not  let  this  matter  vex  you. 

'  Good-bye,  my  dear  Josephine,  let  me  know  that 
you  are  better.  They  tell  me  that  you  are  getting 
as  stout  as  a  good  farmer's  wife  from  Normandy. 

*  Napoleon.'    . 

Vain  counsels  ;  Josephine  never  mended  her  ways, 
and  her  inheritance  was  far  from  consisting  of  the 
millions  with  which  Doctor  O'Meara  so  generously 
credits  it.  * 

*  Aubenas,  Histoire  de  Pimperatrice  Josephine^  vol.  ii. 


235 


CHAPTER   XX 

The  events  which  occurred  in  the  course  of  the  year 
1813  rnarked  and  accentuated  the  decline  of 
Napoleon's  fortunes.  After  the  brilliant  successes 
of  Lutzen  and  Bautzen,  followed  by  the  important 
victory  of  Dresden,  the  Empire's  calamities 
commenced.  The  Leipzig  disaster,  by  precipitating 
the  retreat  of  the  French  army,  soon  led  to  the 
successive  defection  of  Bavaria,  Wilrtemberg  and 
the  Rhenish  Confederacy.  In  spite  of  the  barren 
victory  of  Hanau,  the  armies  of  the  Coalition  soon 
penetrated  into  France.  It  was  now  that  Napoleon 
again  displayed  in  this  time  of  adversity  all  the  military 
talent  of  the  days  of  General  Bonaparte,  and  held  in 
check  during  three  months  with  the  remains  of  the 
Grande  Armee  the  combined  forces  of  the  whole  of 
Europe.  The  immortal  campaign  of  18 14  was  soon  to 
give  the  finishing  touch  to  the  glory  of  the  great 
captain,  without,  however,  succeeding  in  averting  his 
downfall. 

Meantime  Josephine  had  remained  for  several  days 
without  news  of  the  emperor,  and  became  a  prey  to 
the  gravest  apprehensions.     Seeing  the  serious  progress 

236 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

that  the  allies  were  making  in  their  march  on  Paris, 
Napoleon's  first  wife  feared  the  worst.  She  interrog- 
ated with  ever  increasing  anxiety  the  few  visitors 
who  arrived  at  Malmaison  from  Paris.  She  was 
so  distracted  with  grief  that  tears  stood  in  her  eyes, 
and  she  put  them  all  sorts  of  irrelevant  questions. 

Prince  Eugene  had  remained  in  Italy,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  stubbornly  defending  the  kingdom 
of  which  he  was  viceroy  against  the  Austrian  armies. 
After  the  loss  of  the  battle  of  la  Rothiere,  Napoleon, 
fearing  to  witness  the  enemy's  arrival  before  the  walls 
of  Paris,  had  written  the  following  letter  from  Nogent 
to  King  Joseph  on  the  i8th  of  February  : 

*  My  brother,  let  this  letter  be  delivered  into  the 
Empress  Josephine's  own  hands.  I  am  writing 
to  her  so  that  she  may  write  to  Eugene.  Please 
tell  her  to  send  you  her  letter,  which  you  can  despatch 
by  express  messenger. 

*  Your  affectionate  brother 

'  Napoleon.' 

Without  losing  a  moment  the  Empress  Josephine, 
inspired  by  the  wishes  and  exhortations  of  the  man 
who  for  so  long  had  been  her  husband,  hastened  to 
send  word  to  her  son,  the  Viceroy  : 

'  Malmaison,  9th  February. 

*  Do  not  lose  an  instant,  my  dear  Eugene  :  whatever 
obstacles  you  encounter,  redouble  your  efforts  to 
carry  out  the  order  the  emperor  has  given  you.  He 
has  just  written  me  on  the  subject.  His  intention  is 
that  you  should  march  on  the  Alps,  leaving  only  the 

237 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Italian  troops  in  Mantua  and  the  other  Italian  towns. 
His  letter  ends  with  the  words ;  "  France  before 
everything,  France  needs  all  her  children  !  " 

'  Come  then,  my  dear  son,  hasten  to  us  ;  never 
will  your  zeal  have  done  the  emperor  a  greater 
service.  I  can  assure  you  that  every  moment  is 
precious. 

*  I  know  that  your  wife  was  preparing  to  leave 
Milan  ;  tell  me  if  I  can  be  of  any  use  to  her  ?  Good- 
bye, my  dear  Eugene,  I  have  only  time  to  send  you 
my  love  and  to  repeat  that  you  must  hasten  here  as 
quickly  as  possible. 

'Josephine.' 

These  letters  were  in  connection  with  the 
order  given  to  Prince  Eugene  to  march  with  his 
army  on  Geneva,  and  join  forces  with  Marshal 
Augereau.  If  subsequent  events,  especially  what  was 
taking  place  at  Naples,  had  not  induced  the  emperor 
to  abandon  this  move,  its  consequences  might  have 
been  of  the  greatest  importance.  * 

When  Josephine  heard  a  little  later  on,  says 
Mme.  Ducrest,  of  the  preparations  her  brother-in- 
law  and  the  Empress  Marie-Louise  were  making  for 
their  departure  to  Blois,  where  it  had  been  decided 
in  the  last  council  that  the  Regency  must  be  established, 
she  had  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  fresh  calamities 
were  threatening  Paris.  She  resolved  to  fly  as  soon 
as  possible  :  but  in  terror  lest  she  should  fall  into  the 
hands   of  Napoleon's    enemies,    she    hesitated  as    to 

*  M^neval,  Memoires,  vol.  iii,  p.  191. 
238 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

which  line  of  retreat  she  should  choose.     Finally  she 
decided  to  proceed  to  Navarre. 

On  the  29th  March,  after  giving  orders  to  her 
household  to  prepare  everything  for  going  to  this 
chateau,  she  started  in  great  haste  at  eight  o'clock  in 
the  morning  in  cold  and  rainy  weather. 

Josephine  left  her  beloved  residence  of  Malmaison 
in  such  a  state  of  despair  that  all  those  around  her  had 
the  utmost  difficulty  in  allaying  her  fears  ;  she  had 
already  heard  terrified  shouts  of :  "  Here  are  the 
Cossacks  !  "  Their  arrival  in  a  village  was  indeed 
always  followed  by  its  ruin  and  the  plunder  of  its 
wretched  inhabitants. 

At  a  distance  of  ten  leagues  from  Malmaison  the 
axle  of  Her  Majesty's  carriage  broke  on  the  high  road  ; 
there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  stop.  While  her  coach 
was  being  repaired,  Josephine  saw  at  a  distance  a 
detachment  of  hussars,  whom  she  took  for  a  Prussian 
column.  Imagining  that  these  soldiers  had  been  sent 
to  follow  her,  she  was  so  frightened  that  she  began 
running  away  across  the  fields,  thinking  they  intended 
to  carry  her  oflT  by  force  ;  but  one  of  her  footmen, 
I'Esperance,  who  had  recognised  in  this  small  body  of 
horse  the  uniform  of  the  third  regiment  of  hussars, 
ran  after  her  and  caught  her  up  about  300  yards 
away,  quite  beside  herself  with  despair.  The  journey 
was  continued  however  without  any  untoward  occur- 
rences. 

What  melancholy  and  painful  reflections  must  have 
assailed  her  on  crossing  the  threshold  of  a  chateau, 
where  she  thought  she  had  to  fear  the  worst,    "  Alas," 

239 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

she  said  to  Mme.  de  Remusat,  who  was  sitting 
beside  her,  "  Bonaparte  must  certainly  be  ignorant  of 
what  is  going  on  at  the  gates  of  Paris  ;  and  if  he 
does  know,  how  bitter  his  thoughts  must  be." 

Her  ladies-in-waiting  noticed  that,  once  she  had 
reached  Navarre,  she  sought  for  solitude  and  often 
shut  herself  up  alone  to  read  over  letters,  which  were 
carefully  put  away  in  her  large  travelling  dressing- 
case.  One  of  these  letters  she  always  kept  by  her, 
and  when  she  had  finished  reading  it  and  gazing  at  it, 
she  hid  it  in  her  bosom.* 

It  was  the  last  note  the  emperor  had  written  her 
from  Brienne,  in  which  he  said  : 

* .  .  .  On  again  seeing  these  places  where  I  spent 
my  early  childhood  and  comparing  the  peaceful  state  I 
was  in  then  with  the  turmoil  and  anxieties  which  are 
my  lot  to-day,  I  h^ve  often  said  to  myself:  I  have 
sought  death  on  many  a  battlefield  ;  it  has  no  longer 
any  terrors  for  me  ;  to-day  it  would  be  a  blessing  to 
me  .  .  .  but  I  would  fain  see  Josephine  once  more  !  * 
Napoleon  was  however  never  to  see  her  again  ! 

We  may  continue  to  borrow  from  Mme.  Ducrest*s 
Memoires  some  details  regarding  the  Empress  Jose- 
phine's situation  at  this  period,  which  cannot  fail  to 
interest  the  reader  : 

'  If  the  rumour  of  the  approach  of  the  allied  troops 
had  penetrated  to  Malmaison,  it  was  heard  no  less 
distinctly  in  the  precincts  of  the  chateau  of  Navarre, 
where  everyone  was  lamenting  the  disasters  which  had 
befallen  Napoleon.  Still  Josephine  had  not  abandoned 
*  Madame  Ducrest,  Memoires. 
240 


HORTENSE  DE  BEAUHARNAIS. 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

all  hope  ;  she  relied  on  the  bravery  and  ability  of 
the  Duke  of  Ragusa,  to  whom  the  defence  of  Paris 
had  been  entrusted.  Her  Majesty's  situation  was 
hourly  becoming  more  and  more  trying  :  she  did 
not  know  what  to  hope  or  what  to  fear.  Her 
suite  were  at  last  unable  to  hide  from  her  any  longer 
the  fact  that  the  capital  had  surrendered,  that  the 
three  foreign  monarchs  had  made  their  entry  into  the 
city,  and  that  Napoleon  had  retired  to  Fontainebleau. 

'  On  learning  the  terrible  catastrophe  which  had 
just  decided  the  emperor's  fate,  Josephine  fainted 
away,  a  gloomy  silence  reigning  around  her  ;  all 
her  ladies-in-waiting,  pale  and  in  consternation,  seemed 
to  succumb  to  despondency  and  grief  Josephine 
gradually  came  to  herself  and  exclaimed  :  "  1  must  not 
stay  here  any  longer,  my  presence  is  required  near  the 
emperor,  I  must  accomplish  what  was  the  duty  of 
Marie-Louise  rather  than  mine ;  the  emperor  is 
alone,  abandoned.  .  .  .  Well,  I  at  least  will  not  fail 
him  ;  I  could  only  bear  being  separated  from  him  in 
his  good  fortune.  Now  I  am  sure  he  is  expecting  me." 
And  then  the  tears  coursed  down  her  cheeks  and 
brought  relief  to  her  feelings,  overwhelmed  as  she 
was  by  such  bitter  disappointments  and  recollections. '  * 

One  cannot  avoid  comparing  Josephine's  attitude 
in  Napoleon's  hours  of  adversity,  and  that  of  the 
Empress  Marie-Louise  in  the  same  circumstances. 
The  characters  of  the  two  women  were  as  wide  apart 
as  the  poles,  and  it  has  been  justly  remarked  that 
Marie-Louise  was  Josephine's  avenger  ! 
*  Madame  Ducrest,  Memoires. 
Q  241 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

'  During  her  brief  residence  at  Navarre/  writes 
Mme.  Ducrest,  '  Josephine  wrote  a  great  deal  with- 
out enjoying  any  kind  of  relaxation  ;  she  generally 
took  walks  twice  a  day  in  the  park  ;  in  the  mornings 
she  was  always  alone,  and  in  the  afternoons  was 
accompanied  by  one  of  her  ladies-in-waiting. 

'  The  conversation  generally  turned  on  the  political 
situation  of  France,  and  on  Napoleon,  about  whom  she 
liked  to  tell  anecdotes  which  were  known  to  herself 
alone  ;  but  at  the  end  of  her  walk  she  appeared 
overwhelmed  with  the  burden  of  an  all-absorbing 
sorrow,  and  always  ended  with  the  words,  uttered 
with  a  sigh  :  "  Oh  !  if  he  had  only  listened  to  me." 

'  Some  days  after  her  arrival  at  Navarre,  she 
was  urged  to  accede  to  the  wishes  expressed  by  the 
allied  sovereigns  to  see  her  at  Malmaison.  These 
marks  of  a  consideration  which  she  so  fully  deserved 
moved  her  to  tears  :  yet  she  hesitated  to  proceed 
there,  feeling  as  if  it  were  her  duty  to  "remain  hence- 
forth in  obscurity.  It  was  only  considerations  of  an 
important  nature,  relating  to  the  interests  and  the  pro- 
tection of  her  family,  that  induced  her  to  abandon  her 
retreat  in  order  to  do  the  honours  at  Malmaison.'  * 
She  hoped  perhaps  to  be  able  also  to  serve  other  in- 
terests, which  were  equally  dear  to  her,  namely  those 
of  the  Emperor  Napoleon. 

On  the  2nd  of  April    Queen  Hortense,  who  had 

been  coldly  received  by  the  Empress  Marie-Louise  at 

Blois,  had  returned  to  stay  with  her  mother,  whom  she 

was  destined  never  to  leave  again  as  long  as  Josephine 

*  Aubenas,  vol.  ii,  p.  547. 

242 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

lived.  For  a  moment  Hortense  had  harboured  the 
idea  of  going  to  settle  in  Martinique,  but  the  Empress 
Josephine,  hearing  of  her  intention,  exacted  from 
her  daughter  a  formal  promise  that  she  would  not 
leave  her,  under  the  threat  of  putting  an  end  to  her 
life.* 

It  was  during  these  few  sorrowful  days  spent  at 
Navarre,  before  her  return  to  Malmaison,  that  the 
Empress  Josephine  heard  of  the  occurrences  at 
Fontainebleau  and  the  definite  abdication  of  the 
emperor.  For  some  days  communications  had  been 
interrupted,  and  neither  Josephine  nor  Hortense  had 
received  any  direct  news  from  Paris,  Fontainebleau  or 
Blois.  All  sorts  of  contradictory  reports  were 
circulated  at  Navarre,  and  it  was  impossible  for  the 
two  ladies  to  verify  their  authenticity.  Josephine 
remained  thus  a  prey  to  all  the  tortures  of  un- 
certainty, until  one  night  an  auditor  of  the  Privy 
Council,  M.  de  Maussion,  reached  the  empress 
bearing  an  important  message.  It  was  the  Duke  of 
Bassano  who  despatched  this  emissary  to  Josephine  to 
acquaint  her  with  the  details  which  she  was  awaiting 
with  such  feverish  impatience.  Doubtless  a  rumour 
of  the  attempt  to  poison  the  emperor  at  Fontainebleau 
had  penetrated  to  Navarre,  for  the  empress'  first 
words  to  the  bearer  of  the  message  were  :  "  Tell  me 
that  the  emperor  is  alive  .  .  .  tell  it  me  again  !  " 
Never  since  her  divorce  had  the  unfortunate  lady 
suffered  so  much  as  she  did  on  learning  this  succession 
of  disasters. 

*  Aubenas,  vol.  ii,  p.  547. 
243 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

'  She  (Josephine)  threw  a  cloak  over  her  shoulders, 
and  dragging  M.  de  Maussion  along  with  her, 
while  he  was  still  engaged  in  describing  briefly  to  her 
the  plan  for  the  emperor's  abdication  and  the  inten- 
tion of  sending  him  to  Elba,  she  ran  to  awaken 
the  queen,  and  throwing  herself  on  her  bed,  exclaimed 
with  tears  in  her  eyes  :  "  Oh  !  Hortense,  they  are 
sending  poor  Napoleon  to  the  island  of  Elba ! 
Misfortune  has  overtaken  him  at  last !  .  .  .  But  for 
his  wife  I  would  go  and  share  his  imprisonment !  " 
Her  spirit  revolted  at  the  sight  of  the  downfall  of  the 
man  who,  in  his  misfortune,  became  again  her  husband. 

'  M.  de  Maussion  then  gave  the  empress  and 
her  daughter  details  about  everything  which  interested 
them  :  Napoleon's  attempts  to  retake  Paris,  and  the 
Duke  of  Ragusa's  defection  ;  his  abandonment  by 
most  of  his  servants  and  the  honourable  fidelity  of  a 
few  ;  the  return  of  the  Bourbons,  and  Napoleon's 
enforced  abdication,  together  with  the  Coalition's 
intentions  regarding  him.  Josephine's  thoughts  were 
confined  to  the  emperor's  misfortunes.  Knowing  his 
character  and  what  he  must  be  suffering,  she  was 
distressed  at  the  thought  of  the  fall  in  store  for  him, 
and  envied  Marie-Louise  her  right  of  going  with  him 
into  exile.'  * 

It  is  now  well  known  to  everyone  that  the  forgetful 
Marie-Louise  never  claimed  this  right  I  She  supposed 
the  Emperor  Napoleon  to  be  as  resigned  and  satisfied 
with  his  fate  on  the  island  of  Elba,  as  she  herself  was 
at  Vienna.  .  .  .  There  was  no  room  in  Josephine's 

*  Aubenas,  Histoire  de  rimperatrice  Josephine,  vol.  ii,  pp.  541-542. 

244 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

devoted  heart  for  the  indifferent  egotism  of  which 
Napoleon's  second  wife  has  given  so  many  proofs,  and 
the  profound  attachment  which  his  first  wife  retained 
for  him  has  never  been  sufficiently  appreciated.  '  This 
attachment  has  been  persistently  denied,'  Mme. 
Ducrest  writes,  '  and  the  statement  has  been 
repeated  that  she  only  loved  the  sovereign  power  to 
which  he  had  raised  her.  Those  who  argue  in  this 
fashion  have  probably  never  known  Her  Majesty 
intimately.  I  always  found  her  full  of  gratitude  to 
Napoleon,  and  ready  to  prove  the  tenderness  of  her 
attachment  to  him  by  making  all  the  sacrifices  she 
could  on  his  behalf.  I  have  the  profound  con- 
viction that,  if  she  had  lived,  nothing  would  have 
persuaded  her  to  remain  in  France  when  she  knew 
that  Napoleon  was  unhappy.  She  only  consoled 
herself  for  not  seeing  him  when  she  knew  that  he  was 
carrying  all  before  him.  Josephine,  admired  and 
esteemed  as  she  was  by  the  allied  sovereigns,  would 
have  obtained  a  permission  that  another  could  not  have 
asked.  The  noble  qualities  of  Napoleon's  first  consort 
would  have  lent  beauty  to  the  barren  rock  of  his  exile, 
and  the  hero's  proud  spirit  would  have  chafed  less 
under  her  sweet  influence.'  * 

While  the  emperor  was  making  his  way  to  the 
place  of  his  exile,  the  Empress  Josephine,  yielding  to 
the  wishes  of  all  her  friends,  had  returned  to 
Malmaison.  She  was  rather  revolted  than  distressed 
at  the  innumerable  insults  of  which  Napoleon  had  been 
the  object,  since  his  defeat  and  proscription.  Josephine 
*  Madame  Ducrest,  Memoires  sur  Josephine. 
245 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

was  indignant  at  all  the  base  accusations  and  miserable 
calumnies  which  were  directed  against  the  now 
captive  lion,  not  only  by  his  adversaries,  but  even  by 
those  who,  in  the  days  of  his  greatness,  had  sounded 
his  praises  most  loudly.  Mile.  Avrillon,  her 
reader,  has  described  her  moral  sufferings  in  the 
following  terms  : 

'  I  was  myself  a  witness  of  the  Empress  Josephine's 
fits  of  insomnia  and  of  her  terrible  dreams.  I  have 
seen  her  pass  whole  days  in  gloomy  meditation.  I 
know  all  I  have  witnessed,  and,  in  my  opinion,  it 
was  grief  that  killed  her.'  For  our  part,  we  are 
inclined  to  believe  in  the  correctness  of  such  an  im- 
pression produced  on  a  person  so  intimately  conversant 
with  the  fallen  sovereign.  One  can  therefore  easily 
understand  the  weariness  of  life  which  the  Empress 
Josephine  displayed  on  several  occasions,  if  one 
considers  the  feelings  of  despair  caused  to  her 
exquisitively  sensitive  nature  by  the  accumulation  of 
so  many  moral  tortures  ! 

Prince  Eugene's  arrival  at  Malmaison,  in  the  month 
of  April,  created  a  happy  diversion  for  Josephine  from 
the  poignant  griefs  which  assailed  her.  She  had 
always  been  justifiably  proud  of  this  son,  who  was 
a  model  of  devotion  and  chivalrous  loyalty.  Up  to  the 
last  moment  he  had  stubbornly  opposed  the  Austrians 
in  Italy,  and  had  done  his  duty  bravely  and  completely. 
The  emperor's  abdication  had  found  him  still  in  arms, 
and  it  was  only  after  he  had  obtained  confirmation  of 
the  news,  that  he  had  decided  to  come  and  rejoin  his 
mother.     Eugene  had  at  once  resigned  his  powers  as 

246 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

viceroy  of  Italy,  after  safeguarding  by  an  agreement 
the  interests  of  the  French  army,  which  he  had 
commanded  so  long  and  so  gloriously.  Posterity  m^y 
well  recognise  in  Prince  Eugene  a  worthy  rival  of 
Bayard,  the  chevalier  without  fear  and  without  reproach. 
History  too,  we  doubt  not,  will  appreciate  as  it 
deserves  the  noble  conduct  of  Josephine's  son  during 
the  course  of  his  too  short  career. 


\ 


247 


CHAPTER  XXI 

The  Emperor  of  Russia,  who  had  entered  Paris  on  the 
3 1  St  of  March  at  the  head  of  the  allied  armies,  had 
taken  up  his  quarters  at  Talleyrand's  house  in  the 
Rue  Saint-Florentin,  with  his  minister  Nesselrode, 
who  had  preceded  him  there.  As  soon  as  the  monarch 
had  got  through  all  the  business  resulting  from  the 
intrigues  of  every  sort  with  which  he  was 
surrounded,  he  sent  a  message  to  the  Empress 
Josephine,  asking  her  to  grant  him  an  interview. 
Alexander  was  anxious  personally  to  assure  Napoleon's 
first  wife  of  his  respect  and  of  the  protecting  care  he 
was  desirous  of  exercising  towards  herself  as  well  as 
her  children.  The  Emperor  of  Russia,  since  his 
arrival  in  Paris,  had  on  several  occasions  conversed 
with  the  friends  of  Josephine  and  Queen  Hortense, 
amongst  others  with  the  Duke  of  Vicenza,  on  the 
subject  of  his  fixed  intention  to  make  himself  useful 
to  the  members  of  the  Beauharnais  family.* 

*  As  far  as  the  Emperor  of  Austria  is  concerned,  the  Prince  of 
Coburg  remarked  to  Josephine,  according  to  Mme.  de  Souza*s 
story,  that  Francis  II  would  have  come  to  see  her,  had  he  not  feared 
that  his  visit  might  not  be  acceptable  to  her.  "Why,"  replied 
Josephine,  "  it  is  not  me  he  has  dethroned,  but  his  own 
daughter  ! " 

248 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

The  situation  of  Josephine  and  of  her  children  with 
reference  to  the  man  whom  circumstances  had  lately 
made  Napoleon*s  most  irreconcileable  enemy  was  a 
peculiarly  delicate  one.  Alexander  had,  nevertheless, 
not  always  been  the  emperor's  declared  enemy,  and 
had  even  manifested  towards  him  a  disposition  of  an 
apparently  quite  opposite  kind  before  the  Russian 
expedition.  Hortense,  inspired  by  a  feeling  of  just 
pride,  had  been  at  first  unwilling  to  be  beholden  in  any 
way  to  this  sovereign's  solicitude.  Josephine  on  the 
contrary,  with  whom  her  children's  interests  had  now 
become  the  principal  consideration,  felt  her  prejudices 
against  the  powerful  Russian  autocrat  gradually 
diminishing.  The  latter  indeed  had  ended  by  telling 
the  empress  that,  with  or  without  her  approval,  he  was 
determined  to  interest  himself  in  her  children's 
fortunes,  and  Josephine,  touched  by  his  fair  promises 
shewed  herself  grateful,  as  far  as  she  was  concerned, 
for  his  kindness. 

As  soon  as  he  heard  that  Prince  Eugene  had 
returned  to  France,  the  Emperor  Alexander  came  to 
see  him  at  Malmaison,  and  renewed  his  offers  of 
service.  His  object  was  to  obtain  the  royal  establish- 
ment on  behalf  of  the  ex- Viceroy  of  Italy,  as  to  which 
Napoleon  had  made  a  stipulation  in  his  favour  by  a 
special  article,  inserted  in  the  treaty  of  i  ith  April  1 8 14, 
and  signed  by  all  the  sovereigns  of  Europe.  Alexander's 
kind  intentions,  unfortunately  for  Prince  Eugene,  were 
not  successful  in  triumphing  over  the  inertia  and  op- 
position which  the  carrying  out  of  the  clauses  of  this 
treaty  encountered  from  the  principal  continental  powers. 

249 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Terrified  at  the  idea  that  Louis  XVllI's  government 
might  oblige  her  to  leave  France,  Josephine  had 
thought  of  addressing  herself  directly  to  the  King  and 
asking  his  protection.  At  the  close  of  a  dinner-party 
at  Malmaison,  to  which  the  Emperor  of  Russia  had 
been  invited,  this  monarch,  who  was  aware  of  Josephine's 
anxieties  on  this  subject,  is  reported  to  have  said  to  the 
empress  :  "  Look  upon  me,  Madame,  for  yourself  as 
well  as  for  your  children,  as  a  second  Alexander 
protecting  the  family  of  Darius."  Alexander  is  also 
said  to  have  shewn  himself  very  opposed  to  the  plan 
Josephine  had  for  a  moment  entertained  of  writing  to 
King  Louis  XVIII  to  put  herself  under  his  protection. 
"  Such  a  letter,  would,  believe  me,  be  taken  amiss,  and 
would  lead  you  into  disgrace,  "  he  said.  "  The  Czar  of 
Russia  will  be  able  to  protect  you  and  yours."  * 

On  the  15th  May,  according  to  M.  Aubenas,  the 
empress  went  to  stay  for  two  days  at  the  chateau  of 
Saint-Leu  with  Queen  Hortense.  The  Emperor  of 
Russia  also  paid  a  visit  there,  and  accompanied  the 
two  princesses  for  a  walk  in  the  woods  of  Mont- 
morency. On  her  return  Josephine  felt  unwell  and 
fatigued.  She  retired  to  her  apartments,  while  her 
daughter  walked  with  her  guests  in  the  gardens. 
Mile.  Cochelet,  Queen  Hortense's  reader,  had 
followed  her.  On  entering  her  room  the  empress, 
it  appears,  sank  down  into  a  long  chair,  shewing  all  the 
signs  of  gloomy  dejection. 

"  Mademoiselle  Cochelet,"  said  the  empress  after  an 
interval,  "  I  cannot  overcome  the  terrible  sadness  that 
*  Michaud's  Biographte. 
250 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

takes  possession  of  me  ;  I  make  every  effort  to  hide  it 
from  my  children,  but  I  suffer  the  more  in  doing  so. 
I  am  beginning  to  lose  courage.  The  Emperor  of 
Russia  is  certainly  full  of  attentions  and  affection  for 
us,  but  his  kindness  has  so  far  been  confined  to  words. 
What  is  he  going  to  do  for  my  son,  my  daughter, 
and  her  children  ?  Is  he  not  in  a  position  to  insist 
on  something  being  done  for  them  ?  Do  you  know 
what  will  happen  when  he  is  gone  ?  They  will  not 
perform  any  of  the  promises  they  have  made  him  ;  I 
shall  see  my  children  ruined,  and  I  cannot  bear  this 
idea  ;  it  makes  me  desperate.  My  sufferings  are  severe 
enough  on  account  of  the  Emperor's  fate,  fallen  as 
he  is  from  such  a  pinnacle  of  greatness,  and  banished 
to  an  island  far  away  from  France  his  country,  which 
has  abandoned  him  ;  must  I  still  see  my  children 
wanderers  and  in  poverty  !  I  feel  that  this  thought 
is  killing  me." 

Queen  Hortense's  reader  endeavoured  to  calm  and 
reassure  the  empress,  and  spoke  to  her  of  the  real 
interest  the  Russian  monarch  felt  in  Prince  Eugene 
and  his  sister,  in  spite  of  the  queen's  reluctance  to 
accept  favours  from  him  :  "Yes,"  replied  Josephine, 
"  there  is  no  denying  that  he  is  shewing  a  consideration 
for  us  that  one  would  never  have  expected,  but  in 
spite  of  all  these  demonstrations  of  kindly  feeling  I 
see  nothing  positive.  You  are  on  good  terms  with 
M.  de  Nesselrode  ;  find  out  from  him  whether  we 
have  any  grounds  for  hope.  Is  it  Austria  that  is 
hostile  to  my  son  ?  That  can  hardly  be.  Is  it  the 
Bourbons  ?     They  are  in  any  case  under  such  obliga- 

251 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

tions  to  me  that  they  might  repay  them  to  my 
children.  Have  I  not  been  kind  enough  to  all  the 
unfortunate  members  of  their  party  ?  Truly  I  never 
imagined  that  they  would  return  to  France,  but 
it  gave  me  pleasure  to  be  of  use  to  their  friends  :  they 
were  Frenchmen  who  had  suffered  adversity  —  they 
were  my  former  acquaintances,  and  I  felt  compassion 
for  the  hard  fate  of  these  princes,  whom  I  had  seen  in 
their  younger  and  happier  days.  Besides,  have  I  not 
asked  Bonaparte  twenty  times  to  allow  the  Duchess  of 
Orleans  and  the  Duchess  of  Bourbon  to  return  ?  It 
was  through  me  that  he  relieved  their  wants  and 
granted  them  a  pension  which  they  received  in  foreign 
countries.  I  am  sure  they  at  any  rate  will  come  and 
see  me,  and  I  am  surprised  that  no  one  but  M.  de 
Riviere  has  so  far  paid  me  a  visit,  for  M.  de 
Polignac  owes  me  his  life,  and  he  has  not  put  in  an 
appearance  at  Malmaison."  * 

At  other  times,  when  certain  speeches  or  more 
favourable  indications  had  increased  her  hopes  of 
seeing  Eugene  and  Queen  Hortense  provided  for 
in  conformity  with  her  desires,  Josephine  transferred 
all  her  anxious  solicitude  to  Napoleon  and  declared, 
"  Although  I  am  no  longer  his  wife,  I  would  start  to- 
morrow and  rejoin  him,  if  I  did  not  fear  to  cause 
unpleasantness  between  him  and  the  consort  he  has 
preferred  to  me.  It  is  now  especially,  when  he  is 
abandoned  by  nearly  every  one,  that  it  would  be 
a  satisfaction  to  me  to  be  near  him,  to  help  him  to 
bear  the  tediousness  of  his  life  on  the  island  of  Elba, 

*  Aubenas,  Histoire  de  tHmpiratrice  Josephine^  vol.  ii,  pp.  551-552. 

252 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

and  to  share  his  sorrows.  Never  before  have  I  grieved 
so  much  over  this  divorce,  though  it  was  always 
painful  to  me."  * 

In  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  empress'  physicians 
her  health  failed  to  improve  ;  she  was  affected  with 
general  weakness  and  was  evidently  suffering  from 
severe  prostration. 

Prince  Eugene  and  Queen  Hortense  made  them- 
selves justly  anxious  about  their  mother's  morbid 
condition,  which  she  tried  to  hide  so  as  not  to  distress 
them. 

'On  Monday,  23rd  May,'  writes  M.  Aubenas, 
*  The  King  of  Prussia  came  with  his  two  young  sons 
to  pay  a  visit  at  Malmaison  and  remained  to  dinner. 
The  Empress  Josephine,  who  for  some  days  past  had 
been  in  evident  pain,  managed  to  control  her  feelings 
so  successfully,  while  doing  the  honours  of  her  home, 
that  she  was  thought  to  be  entirely  cured.  On  the 
following  day  she  was  further  obliged  to  receive  the 
two  Russian  Grand-Dukes  Nicolas  and  Michael,  so 
anxious  were  all  these  royalties  to  vie  with  each  other 
in  paying  her  homage.  During  the  day  they  went  to 
see  the  neighbourhood  with  Prince  Eugene.'  f  Mean- 
time Josephine  had  retired  to  her  room,  exhausted  by 
the  effort  she  had  made,  and  did  not  re-appear  at 
dinner,  but  asked  her  daughter  to  take  her  place  and 
entertain  her  princely  guests.J 

*  Madame  Ducrest,  Memoires.  f  Aubenas,  vol.  ii,  p.  553. 

J  It  is  remarkable  that  in  18 14,  during  the  two  last  months  of  her 
life,  three  young  men  all  destined  to  be  emperors,  often  found  them- 
selves together  in  Josephine's  company  at  Malmaison.  Taking  them 
in  the  order  of  their  ages  these   were  ;  the  grand-duke  Nicholas, 

253 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

'On  the  24th/  continues  M.  Aubenas,  'Mile. 
Cochelet  paid  a  visit  to  the  empress,  anxious 
to  hear  news  of  her  health.  She  found  her  in 
tears  and  with  a  newspaper  in  her  hands,  which  she 
handed  her  visitor.  "  Does  my  daughter  read  this 
paper  ?  "  she  asked  her  ;  "  try  and  prevent  her  from 
seeing  it.  Read  the  article  it  contains  about  the  tomb 
of  her  poor  child.*  How  is  it  possible  they  can 
write  such  things  ?  Just  see  in  what  contemptuous 
terms  they  speak  of  him,  saying  his  remains  should 
be  removed  from  the  church  of  Notre-Dame  and  be 
buried  in  an  ordinary  cemetery.  They  actually  dare 
to  meddle  with  graves  !  It  is  just  like  the  times  of 
the  Revolution.  Oh  !  who  could  have  imagined  I 
should  have  to  bear  this  from  people  to  whom  I  have 
done  so  many  services  !  "  '  '  This  emotion,'  adds  M. 
Aubenas,  'was  not  calculated  to  diminish  the 
melancholy  which  was  daily  undermining  her  con- 
stitution. She  also  expatiated  upon  her  grief  at  not  see- 
ing her  children's  position  duly  established,  and  on  her 
fears  with  regard  to  this  matter.'  f 

On  the  following  day,  the  25th  May,  the  Emperor 

who  was  one  day  to  wear  the  Imperial  diadem,  and  against  whom 
France  and  England  undertook  the  Crimean  War  ;  then  Prince 
William,  one  of  the  sons  of  the  King  of  Prussia,  who  became 
emperor  after  the  disasters  of  1870  ;  and  lastly  Josephine's  own 
grandson,  the  future  Napoleon  III,  who  at  first  waged  a  successful 
war  against  Russia,  but  afterwards  met  with  ill-fortune  and  was 
dethroned  on  4th  September  1870,  as  a  consequence  of  the 
disastrous  struggle  with  Germany. 

*  The  Prince  Royal  of  Holland,  Queen  Hortense's  eldest  son, 
who  died  of  croup  in  1807. 

I  Aubenas,  Histoire  de  Pimperatrice  Josephine,  vol.  ii,  p.  554. 

254 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Alexander  came  to  visit  Josephine,  and  finding  her 
much  changed,  proposed  to  send  her  his  own  doctor. 
This  physician  was  questioned  by  Queen  Hortense, 
after  he  had  examined  the  patient,  and  did  not  conceal 
from  her  that  he  found  the  empress  seriously  ill  and 
recommended  that  she  should  be  treated  with  blisters. 
Prince  Eugene  and  Queen  Hortense,  who  adored  their 
mother,  and  had  not  thought  her  condition  so  grave, 
were  much  alarmed  at  the  Russian  doctor's  diagnosis. 
The  best  doctors  in  Paris  were  at  once  summoned  to 
attend  the  empress,  and  after  a  consultation  with  Dr. 
Horeau,  her  ordinary  physician,  they  pronounced  her 
to  be  suffering  from  a  very  pernicious  form  of  angina 
pectoris.  The  empress  had  complained  a  few  days 
before  of  pains  in  the  throat,  but  her  friends  as  well  as 
she  herself  had  put  it  down  to  a  cold,  which  she  had 
neglected.  Later  on  absurd  reports  were  spread  that 
she  had  been  poisoned  !  Who,  however,  could  have 
wanted  to  take  the  life  of  the  good  empress,  and  who 
could  have  had  anything  to  gain  by  her  disappearance  ? 
To  put  the  question  is,  in  our  opinion,  to  answer  it. 

On  the  28  th  May,  there  was  a  slight  and  deceptive 
improvement  in  the  condition  of  the  august  patient, 
but  this  passing  improvement  did  not  last  long. 
'  This  angelic  woman,'  writes  Mme.  Ducrest,  '  always 
afraid  of  distressing  those  she  loved,  did  not  complain, 
but  took  all  the  remedies  ordered,  and  sought  to 
reassure  all  those  round  her  bedside  by  her  sweet  and 
cheerful  demeanour.'  On  this  day  the  Emperor  of 
Russia  was  to  dine  at  Malmaison,  but  Queen  Hortense, 
rightly   alarmed   at    the  state  in  which  she  saw  her 

255 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

mother,  decided  to  send  a  message  to  the  Emperor 
Alexander,  asking  him  to  be  so  good  as  to  delay  his 
visit  for  a  few  days.  At  the  moment,  however,  when 
the  courier  was  on  the  point  of  starting,  the  Czar 
himself  arrived  at  Malmaison,  much  before  the  hour 
fixed  for  the  dinner  to  which  he  had  been  invited. 
It  was  therefore  arranged  that  Alexander's  presence 
should  be  concealed  from  the  Empress  Josephine,  so 
as  not  to  agitate  her,  and  that  she  should  be  told  that 
the  Russian  monarch's  yisit  had  been  postponed  to 
another  day.  Queen  Hortense  dined  with  the 
emperor,  and,  apologising  for  her  want  of  ceremony, 
left  Alexander  alone  with  Prince  Eugene  and  returned 
to  her  mother's  side.  Mme.  d'Arberg  watched 
during  this  nigh  of  28th  to  29th  May  in  Josephine's 
room.  The  latter  did  not  seem  to  be  suffering,  but 
often  awoke  and  murmured  to  herself  in  a  low  voice, 
repeating  at  intervals  the  words  :  "  Bonaparte  1  .  .  . 
Elba  !  .  .  .  Marie-Louise  !"*... 

On  the  29th  May,  Whitsunday,  Queen  Hortense, 
greatly  alarmed  at  seeing  her  mother  delirious, 
went  in  search  of  her  brother,  who  had  himself 
been  unwell  for  some  days  and  could  only  with 
difficulty  leave  his  bed.  Josephine's  two  children 
entered  their  mother's  room  together  and  noticed  with 
dismay  the  great  change  which  had  come  over  her 
features.  'On  seeing  her  children'  —  says  M. 
Aubenas — '  the  empress'  eyes  filled  with  tears  ;  she 
stretched  out  her  arms  towards  them,  but  was  unable 
to  sit  up  and  could  hardly  speak,  her  tongue  being 
*  Aubenas,  Histoire  de  Pimperatrice  Josephine. 
256 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

paralysed/  After  they  had  both  tenderly  embraced 
her,  Prince  Eugene  remained  alone  by  his  mother's 
bedside  ;  Queen  Hortense  was  unable  to  master  her 
grief  and  had  to  leave  the  room  in  order  to  give 
veiit  to  her  sorrow.  It  was  this  devoted  son,  of  whom 
Josephine  was  so  passionately  fond,  who,  after  hearing 
the  report  of  the  physicians,  prepared  his  mother  to 
receive  the  consolations  of  religion.  A  message  had 
been  sent  to  Rueil  to  find  the  priest  of  the  parish, 
but  he  was  not  at  the  Presbytery,  and  it  was 
the  Abbe  Bertrand,  that  old  and  faithful  friend  of 
Josephine  and  her  children,  who  fulfilled  the  task  of 
administering  the  last  sacrament  to  the  empress.  At 
the  sight  of  her  mother's  altered  features  in  these  last 
moments  Queen  Hortense  had  fainted  away  :  she  had 
to  be  carried  to  her  room  in  a  state  of  unconsciousness. 
It  was  in  Prince  Eugene's  presence  only  that  the 
empress  expired,  shortly  after  having  received  the 
Church's  benediction.  'After  a  few  efforts  to 
breathe' — adds  M.  Aubenas — 'she  expired  in  the 
arms  of  her  dearly  loved  son,  her  last  solace.'* 

The  distress  felt  by  all  the  Malmaison  servants, 
both  high  and  low,  at  the  death  of  the  Empress 
Josephine,  spread,  as  the  fatal  news  became  known,  to 
Rueil  and  all  the  neighbouring  localities,  where  she  was 
looked  upon  as  a  guardian  angel,  and  loved  as  a  mother. 
'  Between  the  fatal  day  of  the  empress'  death  and  the 
2nd  June,  when  the  funeral  was  to  take  place,'  writes 
Mme.  Ducrest,  'more  than  twenty  thousand  persons 
saw  Josephine  for  the  last  time.* 

*  Aubenas,  vol.  ii,  p.  559. 
R  257 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

On  the  2nd  June,  at  mid-day,  the  funeral  took 
place  with  the  greatest  pomp,  in  the  small  and  unpre- 
tending church  of  Rueil  village,  the  parish  church  of 
Malmaison. 

The  corners  of  the  pall  were  carried  by  the  Grand- 
Duke  of  Baden,  husband  of  Princess  Stephanie,  the 
Marquis  de  Beauharnais,  the  empress'  step-brother. 
Count  Tascher,  her  first  cousin,  and  Count  de 
Beauharnais,  father  of  the  Grand-Duchess  of  Baden. 
Queen  Hortense's  two  young  children  were  chief 
mourners.  Then,  on  foot,  at  the  head  of  the  procession, 
and  preceding  the  members  of  the  empress'  household, 
came  General  Sacken,  representing  the  Emperor 
of  Russia,  the  King  of  Prussia's  adjutant-general, 
on  behalf  of  his  sovereign,  and  a  large  number  of 
foreign  princes  and  French  field-marshals,  generals, 
and  officers.  The  Emperor  Alexander  had  at  first 
announced  his  intention  of  being  present  in  person  at 
the  obsequies,  but  on  hearing  that  Prince  Eugene's 
state  of  health  would  not  allow  of  his  presiding  at  the 
funeral,  the  Czar  had  abstained  from  doing  so.  The 
banners  of  the  different  brotherhoods  of  the  parish  of 
Rueil,  and  twenty  young  girls  dressed  in  white, 
singing  hymns,  formed  part  of  the  procession,  which 
was  flanked  by  files  of  Russian  hussars  and  National 
Guards.  Two  thousand  poor  persons  of  all  ages 
brought  up  the  rear. 

Josephine's  body,  placed  in  a  leaden  chest  enclosed 
in  a  wooden  coffin,  was  afterwards  laid  provisionally  in 
a  part  of  the  cemetery  where  had  been  interred  the 
bodies  of  the  103  persons  who  had  been  crushed  to 

258 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

death  In  the  Rue  Royale  on  their  return  from  the  fire- 
works in  the  square  of  Louis  XV,  on  the  occasion  of 
Louis  XVFs  marriage  with  Marie-Antoinette.* 

Monseigneur  de  Barral,  Archbishop  of  Tours,  and 
the  empress*  principal  chaplain,  had  presided  at  the 
funeral  ceremony,  assisted  by  the  bishops  of  Evreux 
and  Versailles.  This  prelate  had  also,  after  reading 
the  Gospel,  pronounced  the  funeral  oration  on 
Napoleon's  first  wife  in  a  quiet  but  touching  manner. 

In  1824  Queen  Hortense  and  her  brother  bought 
one  of  the  chapels  of  the  Rueil  church,  and  succeeded 
at  last,  though  not  without  difficulty,  in  obtaining 
permission  to  erect  over  her  grave  a  monument  that  may 
still  be  seen  there. 

The  following  observations,  made  by  General  de 
Reiset  in  18 14,  were  suggested  by  the  news  of  the 
Empress  Josephine's  sudden  and  unexpected  decease  : 

'  Everyone  is  unanimous,'  this  general  officer  wrote 
in  his  Souvenirs,  Mn  deploring  the  death  of  this 
charming  woman,  who  was  a  paragon  of  goodness,  and 
whose  whole  life  was  spent  in  the  service  of  others. 
When  she  was  at  the  height  of  her  power  she  never 
used  her  influence  except  for  good  ends,  and  I  do  not 
think  she  ever  had  an  enemy.' 

Further  on  he  says  : 

'The  grief  she  experienced  on  seeing  Napoleon, 
whom  she  never  ceased  to  love,  dethroned  and  exiled, 
and  her  anxiety  for  her  children's  future,  now  that  the 
Empire  was  abolished,  all  these  causes  had  combined 
to  depress  her  profoundly.' 

*  Madame  Ducrest,  Memoires  sur  rimperatrice  Josiphine. 
359 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

We  may  quote,  as  a  last  extract  from  these 
Souvenirs,  a  paragraph  in  which  the  Viscount  de 
Reiset  sums  up  the  general  impression  which 
Josephine'  death  made  on  her  contemporaries  : 

'The  whole  of  Paris  has  been  deeply  affected  by 
the  empress'  death  ;  for  long  she  had  been  known 
only  as  ihe  good  Josephine,  and  she  had  rendered  so 
many  services  to  all  and  sundry  that  the  regrets  she 
inspired  are  unanimous  and  without  distinction  of 
parties/  * 

*  Souvenirs  du  vtcomte  de  Rehet,  3  Vols. 


«6o 


CHAPTER   XXII 

It  is  a  striking  fact  and  one  deserving  of  notice,  that 
the  death  of  the  Empress  Josephine  occurred  quite 
unexpectedly  at  the  most  critical  period  of  Napoleon's 
wonderful  career.  It  would  almost  seem  as  if 
Providence,  when  it  pleased  Him  to  paralyse  the 
mighty  instrument  of  His  impenetrable  designs, 
intended  to  render  still  more  complete  the  immolation 
of  Napoleon,  that  Prometheus  of  modern  times.  The 
mysterious  Power  which  governs  the  world  refused  to 
permit  any  soothing  influence  to  alleviate  the  emperor's 
sufferings  on  the  rock  of  his  exile,  or  to  comfort 
him  on  his  deathbed.  The  great  man's  first 
wife,  who  was  so  sincerely  and  profoundly  attached 
to  him,  would  in  all  probability  have  obtained 
permission  from  the  foreign  monarchs  to  go  and 
console  him  at  St  Helena,  if  death  had  not  cut  short 
her  days.  And  yet  it  was  this  consort  whom  the 
emperor  had  abandoned  in  order  to  ensure,  as  he 
thought,  the  accomplishment  of  his  ambitious 
dynastic  designs !  His  second  wife,  the  Empress 
Marie-Louise,  on  whose  feelings  he  had  thought  he 
could    rely,     forgot     Napoleon    in    his    misfortunes, 

261 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

separated  herself  from  him,  refused  him  any  kind  of 
assistance  and  gave  no  sign  of  remembrance  or  of 
interest  in  his  fate.  Certainly  this  extraordinary  genius, 
whose  wonderful  history  will  excite  the  imagina- 
tion of  generations  yet  unborn,  was  destined  to 
expiate  most  tragically  the  faults,  whatever  they 
were,  committed  by  him  in  the  course  of  his  stormy 
career  ! 

Even  Cardinal  Fesch,  in  an  interview  which  has 
been  placed  on  record,  remarked,*  when  speaking  of 
Napoleon,  his  nephew  : 

'  God  did  not  destroy  him.  Holy  Scripture  speaks 
clearly  on  this  subject.  When  the  Almighty  wills  a 
man's  perdition.  He  crushes  him  on  the  spot  and 
consigns  him  to  the  flames  ;  but  this  man  He  did  not 
trample  under  foot,  nor  consign  to  the  flames.  .  .  .  He 
humiliated  him,  and  this  is  the  way  of  salvation  and 
the  token  of  it.  .  .  .  He  whom  God  humiliates  is 
saved,  for  humiliation  is  the  expiation  for  the  sin  and 
the  sign  of  mercy  ! ' 

In  1815 — about  a  year  after  Josephine's  death — 
Napoleon,  on  his  return  to  France  during  the 
Hundred  Days,  made  a  pilgrimage  to  Malmaison  before 
starting  on  his  last  campaign,  which  was  to  terminate  at 
Waterloo.  Queen  Hortense,  always  faithful  to  the 
emperor's  fortunes,  was  there  to  receive  him.  'The 
emperor,'  says  M.  Aubenas,  'arrived  accompanied 
by  M.  Mole,  M.  Denon  and  Colonel  Lab6- 
doy^re.      On    entering    the    hall    of  the    chateau    he 

*  Sentiments  de  'Napoleon  sur  le  Christianisme,  by  the  Chevalier  de 
Beauterne. 

262 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

appeared  moved.  He  wanted  to  see  everything 
again.  He  walked  for  an  hour  with  his  step-daughter, 
in  the  garden,  the  park,  the  conservatory,  speaking 
of  her  whose  memory  filled  this  abode  that  had 
been  created  by  her  genius.  It  seemed  to  him  every 
moment  as  if  she  was  about  to  appear  at  the  turn  of 
a  path  !  They  partook  of  lunch  in  silence.  After- 
wards the  emperor  wandered  slowly  through  the 
gallery,  gazing  with  a  sad  but  sweet  pleasure  at  the 
pictures  and  works  of  art  of  which  she  had  been  fond. 
He  then  expressed  a  wish  to  see  the  room  where 
Josephine  had  died.  The  queen  prepared  to 
accompany  him  upstairs,  but  he  motioned  to  her  with 
his  hand  to  remain,  and  proceeded  alone  to  this 
apartment  which  he  knew  so  well.  He  remained  a 
few  moments  standing  by  the  bed  where  the  woman 
he  had  loved  so  dearly  had  died  thinking  of  him,  and 
then  descended  the  stairs  again,  the  victim  of  an 
emotion  that  he  no  longer  sought  to  hide.'  * 

'The  Emperor,'  writes  M.  de  Las  Cases,  in 
the  Mimorial^  ^  used  to  say  that  he  had  had  a  great  deal 
to  do  during  his  life  with  two  women  of  very  different 
characters  :  one  the  embodiment  of  art  and  the  graces, 
the  other  of  innocence  and  simplicity  ;  and  each  of  them 
had  her  value.'  One  might  add  to  this  that 
the  former  was  all  heart  and  affection,  while 
the  vaunted  innocence  of  the  latter  was  only  a 
transitory  quality,  and  it  was  never  affection  that  had 
the  upperhand  in  her  ungrateful  character,  but  egoism. 
M.  de  Bausset,  in  his  Memoires,  after  saying 
♦  Aubenas,  Histoire  de  rimperatrice  Josephine^  vol.  ii,  pp.  561-562. 

263 


THE   EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

that  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  Josephine  to 
exhibit  more  grace  than  she  shewed  in  her  manners  and 
deportment,  adds :  '  Her  eyes  and  her  look  were 
bewitching,  her  smile  full  of  charm  ;  her  features 
and  her  voice  were  of  an  extreme  sweetness,  her 
figure  was  perfectly  moulded,  supple  and  queenly  ; 
she  dressed  in  the  most  perfect  taste  and  with  the 
greatest  elegance,  so  that  she  appeared  much  younger 
than  she  really  was.  But  all  these  outward  graces 
were  as  nothing  in  comparison  with  the  goodness  of 
her  heart.  She  was  by  nature  amiable  and  cheerful, 
never  hurt  any  one's  sensibilities,  nor  said  disagreeable 
things  ;  her  character  was  always  placid  and  good- 
tempered.  Devoted  to  Napoleon,  she  inspired  him, 
without  his  perceiving  it,  with  her  own  sweetness  and 
generosity,  and  laughingly  gave  him  advice,  which  on 
more  than  one  occasion  proved  of  use  to  him.  At  the 
risk  of  repeating  myself,  I  may  say  that,  while  she  was 
herself  always  ready  to  oblige  others,  she  taught 
Napoleon  the  value  of  indulgence  and  kindness,  and 
further,  that  I  know  no  one  who  could  say  that  she 
ever  refused  to  do  a  service  or  to  offer  assistance  in 
any  matters  which  came  within  her  sphere.  Blessings 
and  prayers  for  her  welfare  followed  her  in  her  down- 
fall, and  later  on  the  great  European  Powers  vied  with 
each  other  in  associating  themselves  by  their  acts  of 
homage  with  the  feelings  of  reverence  of  the  whole 
French  people.  More  than  any  woman  I  have  known, 
she  had  that  taste  for,  society,  which  is  generally  the 
attribute  of  women  as  gifted  as  she  was.  Nature 
had  endowed  her  with  an  intuitive  perception  of  what 

264 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

was  true  and  good.  Few  women  have  possessed  to 
the  same  degree  that  delicacy  of  feeling  which  makes 
them  forgetful  of  self  and  intent  on  the  welfare  of  the 
object  dear  to  them  ;  that  patience,  that  true  courage, 
that  calmness  in  the  presence  of  overwhelming  mis- 
fortune ;  that  high-minded  generosity  which  dislikes  all 
ostentation  ;  that  refinement  and  ingenuity  in  the 
manner  of  conferring  a  favour  ;  that  consistency  and 
perseverance,  as  I  may  call  it,  in  the  will  to  oblige  ; 
and  lastly  that  sensitive '  nature  which  made  her 
ambitious  of  no  reward  except  the  well-merited  re- 
ciprocation of  the  kindly  sentiments  by  which  she  was 
herself  actuated.*  * 

'The  Empress  Josephine,*  wrote  the  Duke  of 
Rovigo,  '  abdicated  the  throne  with  great  resignation, 
and  declared  that  the  loss  of  her  grandeur  was  made 
up  to  her  by  the  consolation  she  derived  from  having 
obeyed  the  emperor's  will.  She  left  the  Court,  but 
lived  on  in  the  hearts  of  her  friends  ;  she  had  always 
been  loved,  because  there  had  never  been  her  equal  for 
kindness.  Her  thought  fulness  for  everyone  was  the 
same  when  she  became  empress  as  it  had  been  before  ; 
she  was  lavish  in  her  gifts  and  so  gracious  in  her 
manner  of  giving  that  one  would  have  felt  oneself 
guilty  of  rudeness  in  not  accepting  her  bounty  :  no  one 
ever  obtained  access  to  her  without  returning  loaded 
with  presents.  She  never  did  any  one  an  ill  turn  in 
the  time  of  her  power  ;  even  her  enemies  were  pro- 
tected by  her  ;  there  was  hardly  a  day  of  her  life  that 

*  Memoires  anecdotiques  sur  PintMeur  du  palais  'imperial,  by  L.  G.-F. 
de  Bausset,  vol.  i,  p.  375. 

265 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

she  did  not  ask  some  favour  on  behalf  of  some  one,  with 
whom  often  she  was  not  even  acquainted,  but  whom 
she  knew  only  to  be  worthy  of  her  interest ;  she  pro- 
vided for  a  large  number  of  families,  and  during  the  last 
years  of  her  life  she  was  surrounded  by  a  whole  genera- 
tion of  children,  whose  mothers  had  been  married  and 
dowered  by  her  bounty.  Malicious  tongues  reproached 
her  with  a  certain  extravagance  in  her  expenditure  ; 
should  she  be  blamed  for  this  ?  No  one  has  been  equally 
zealous  in  counting  the  number  of  children  of  poor 
parents,  for  whose  education  she  paid  ;  no  one  has 
spoken  of  the  charities  she  dispensed  in  many  destitute 
homes.  Her  whole  day  was  spent  in  thinking  much 
of  others  and  very  little  of  herself.  Every  one 
regretted  her  on  the  emperor's  account,  because  it  was 
known  that  she  hardly  ever  told  him  anything  but  good 
about  all  who  were  in  his  service.  She  even  did 
M.  Fouche  services,  although  he  had  endeavoured 
to  make  himself  the  instrument  for  promoting  her 
divorce  a  year  earlier  than  it  actually  took  place.'  * 

M.  de  Meneval  expresses  himself  with  reference 
to  the  empress  in  the  following  terms  :  '  Josephine 
possessed  in  herself  an  irresistible  fascination  ;  she  was 
not  actually  beautiful,  but  she  had  that  grace  which, 
as  La  Fontaine  says,  is  more  beautiful  than  beauty. 
She  had  the  soft  abandon  and  the  graceful  listlessness  of 
the  Creole.  Her  temper  was  even  ;  she  was  sweet 
and  kindly,  affable  and  indulgent  with  every  one, 
without  distinction  of  persons.  She  possessed  neither 
genius  nor  much  learning,  but  her  exquisite  courtesy, 
*  Rovigo,  Memoires,  vol.  Iv,  p.  257. 
266 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

her  great  knowledge  of  the  world  and  the  Court,  and 
of  their  innocent  artificialities,  always  gave  her  at 
command  an  intuitive  perception  of  what  was  the  right 
thing  to  say  or  to  do. 

'The  emperor  had  loved  her  dearly  and  retained 
for  her  a  feeling  of  affection  which  habit  and  her 
lovable  qualities  had  intensified.  One  would  have 
said  that  she  was  born  for  the  r61e  imposed 
upon  her  by  the  exalted  station  to  which 
she  had  climbed  along  with  him.  A  partner  of  his 
fortunes,  she  had  seconded  him  admirably  by  the 
ascendency  of  her  grace,  her  sweetness  and  her 
beauty  ;  she  had  wedded  his  glory  as  well  as  himself 
Although  a  complete  stranger  to  politics  and 
affairs  of  state,  she  had  conciliated  to  Napoleon,  as  far 
as  it  lay  in  her  power,  the  favour  of  all  parties.  She 
was  fond  of  luxury  and  of  spending  money,  more  so 
perhaps  than  her  charitable  disposition  should  have 
permitted  her  to  be  ;  for  her  extravagance  often 
prevented  her  from  satisfying  her  philanthropic 
desires,  although  on  many  occasions  Napoleon 
generously  rescued  her  from  the  consequences  of  her 
too  great  prodigality.  There  was  a  charm  and  a 
delicacy  about  her  manner  of  rendering  or  acknowledg- 
ing a  service  which  won  people's  hearts.  She  shewed 
in  her  misfortunes  a  resignation  which  never  belied 
itself ;  what  aggravated  the  burden  of  her  grief  was 
the  inexorable  necessity  of  separating  from  the 
emperor,  although  he  never  neglected  her.'  * 

The    majority    of  the    Empress    Josephine's    con- 
*  M6neval,  Memoires,  vol.  ii,  pp.  289-290. 
267 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

temporaries  have  been  unanimous,  as  we  have  seen,  in 
according  her  a  well-merited  tribute  of  praise.  This 
praise  has  however  been  mingled  with  certain  criticisms. 
Her  excessive  prodigality  and  the  luxurious  scale  on 
which  she  found  it  necessary  to  live  have  given  a 
handle  to  her  detractors.  She  has  also  been  reproached 
with  want  of  discrimination  in  her  manner  of  doing 
a  service  ;  but  this  reproach  loses  its  force  when  we 
remember  that  she  was  always  rather  the  benefactress 
of  humble  folk  than  of  persons  of  rank,  who  courted 
her  for  her  power.  Josephine  has  also  been  accused 
of  devoting  herself  to  superstitious,  not  to  say  childish, 
practices.  In  any  case  this  peculiarity  hurt  no  one, 
besides  which,  she  was  a  woman,  and  the  prophecy  at 
Martinique,  of  which  Mile,  de  la  Pagerie  had  been 
the  object,  may  possibly  have  contributed  to 
strengthen  this  propensity  in  her.  Besides,  it 
happens  not  infrequently  that  even  master  minds, 
swayed  by  too  lively  an  imagination,  are  victims  of 
this  failing.  Historians  should  be  permitted  to 
modify  their  delineation  of  the  persons  they  are  de- 
scribing only  to  give  greater  prominence  to  their 
good  qualities,  but  not  in  order  to  impute  to 
the  dead  serious  and  imaginary  faults  !  In  works 
which  pretend  to  be  historical  it  is  generally  the 
opposite  which  happens  ;  writers  seek  to  conceal  the 
good  and  to  exaggerate  the  bad.  An  author  wields 
a  dangerous  weapon  in  his  pen  ;  he  strikes  the  dead 
without  pausing  to  reflect  how  his  slanders  add  to 
the  grief  of  the  living  relatives  ;  it  would  be  better,  if  lies 
must  be  told,  that  the  living  only  be  attacked,  as  they 

268 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

at  least  have  the  means  of  refuting  the  falsehoods  of 
which  they  are  the  victims.  Josephine  was  not 
perhaps  a  heroine,  but  at  least  she  was  never  the 
degraded  creature  which  she  has  too  often  been  painted. 
If  Josephine  really  was  the  seductive  monster  of 
hypocrisy,  which  several  authors  describe  her  as  being, 
though  no  proofs  are  offered  in  support  of  the  theory, 
how  is  it  that  she  brought  up  her  children  so  admirably  ? 
For  it  was  certainly  she  alone  who  formed  their 
characters,  their  father  having  died  on  the  scaffold  at 
a  time  when  they  were  still  of  tender  years.  How  is 
it  that  Eugene  and  Hortense  were  able  to  derive  from 
their  mother's  teachings  such  perfect  tact,  such  dignity, 
such  high-mindedness,  all  qualities  of  the  first  order, 
and  possessed  to  the  same  degree  by  very  few  of  the 
members  of  Napoleon's  family  ?  How  can  we  explain 
the  fact  that  Josephine's  children  always  worshipped 
their  mother,  while  she  was  alive  as  well  as  after  her 
decease,  if  the  hypothesis,  which  represents  her  as  one  of 
the  most  selfish  and  perfidious  of  women,  were  a  true 
one  ?  Beugnot,  a  man  generally  admitted  to  be  possessed 
of  keen  perception  of  character,  who  knew  Josephine, 
and  was  often  in  her  company,  was  of  the  opinion  that 
Napoleon's  first  wife  was  sincere.  The  opposite  theory, 
which  describes  Josephine  as  a  profoundly  false  and 
immoral  creature,  has  only  been  propounded  by  some 
of  our  contemporaries,  whose  statements  can  never,  in 
our  opinion,  have  the  value  belonging  to  the  testimony 
of  an  authorised  historian  who  lived  in  Josephine's 
immediate  entourage.  The  writings  of  all  who  have 
known  her  and  have  been  admitted  to  her  presence  are 

269 


THE   EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

indeed  unanimous  in  representing  her,  as  the  reader 
has  seen,  in  a  light  absolutely  at  variance  with  the  asser- 
tions of  these  critics.  All  are  agreed  in  declaring  her 
to  be  an  essentially  good  woman,  charitable  without 
ostentation,  devoid  of  malice  and  even  of  bitterness 
against  those  who  tried  to  injure  her,  at  a  time  when  it 
would  have  been  easy  for  the  empress  to  revenge  her- 
self on  them.  That  Josephine  often  dispensed  her 
favours  somewhat  indiscriminately  we  are  not  pre- 
pared to  deny,  but  the  sovereign's  r61e  demands, 
more  than  any  other,  a  certain  indiscriminate  distri- 
bution of  civil  speeches  and  gracious  commonplaces. 
That  she  was  frivolous,  extravagant  and  too 
wanting  in  seriousness  on  certain  grave  occasions, 
is  also  a  fact  that  is  unfortunately  not  to  be  denied  ; 
but  that  she  never  truly  loved  either  her  children 
or  Napoleon,  her  husband  and  her  benefactor,  is  an 
accusation  which  is  contradicted  by  the  continual  proofs 
of  devotion  which  she  gave  them,  in  fact  by  the 
whole  history  of  her  life.  A  good  parent,  a  still  more 
excellent  friend,  Josephine  was  neither  false  nor  ego- 
tistical. A  proof  that  she  was  not  false  is  the  instinctive 
antipathy  she  felt  for  characters  like  that  of  Talleyrand  ; 
she  loved  sincerity,  and  thus  she  helped  to  make  her 
son,  Prince  Eugene,  the  most  upright  and  loyal  of  all 
the  great  men  of  the  first  Empire.  Queen  Hortense's 
mother  does  not,  we  think,  deserve,  in  the  great 
sphere  in  which  she  moved,  the  reputation  for 
duplicity  with  which  some  authors  of  the  present  day 
have  attempted  to  brand  her.  She  shewed  herself  on 
the  contrary  steadfast  and  sincere  in  her  affections  both 

270 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

in  her  days  of  prosperity  and  in  her  hours  of  trial 
and  adversity.  Her  infinite  tenderness  for  her 
children  never  belied  itself,  and  her  solicitude,  even  to 
her  last  breath,  was  solely  for  the  son  and  daughter 
who  were  so  exclusively  the  objects  of  her  love.  The 
narrative  of  the  last  moments  of  Josephine's  existence 
presents  overwhelming  evidence  of  her  maternal 
affection  ;  she  would  not  occupy  herself  with  thoughts 
of  her  own  fate  during  the  course  of  those  last  weeks 
which  preceded  her  death,  but  only  shewed  anxiety  as 
to  the  fortunes  of  her  dearly  loved  children,  which 
were  now  so  gravely  compromised. 

In  spite  of  all  the  reproaches,  whether  merited  or 
unmerited,  with  which  she  has  been  assailed,  Josephine 
will  remain,  in  the  remembrance  of  the  nation,  one  of 
the  most  dearly  loved  sovereigns  in  the  history  of 
France.  She  was  Napoleon's  good  genius,  for  his 
strength  of  character  required  her  sweetness  to  temper 
it.  In  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  iconoclasts,  who  have 
tried  to  mutilate  the  features  of  the  gracious  Creole, 
Josephine  will  ever  remain  the  good  Empress  for  those 
who  place  above  all  other  qualities,  those  that  belong 
to  the  heart  :  gentleness,  benevolence  and  goodness. 


271 


APPENDIX 

In  1824  Queen  Hortense  and  Prince  Eugene  bought 
one  of  the  chapels  of  the  church  at  Rueil  and  there 
erected  their  mother's  tombstone.  The  monument, 
which  was  executed  by  Gilet  and  Dubuc  according  to 
the  drawings  of  the  architect  Bertrand,  is  of  veined 
white  marble,  and  consists  of  a  semi-circular  vault, 
ornamented  with  roses,  and  supported  by  four  Ionic 
columns,  on  a  pedestal  two  metres  in  height.  The 
columns  are  four  metres  high  and  the  archivolt 
three  metres.  The  empress*  remains  are;  placed  in 
the  base  of  the  plinth.  They  are  enclosed  in  three 
coffins,  one  of  lead,  the  second  of  mahogany  and  the 
third  of  oak. 

The   plinth    bears    the    following  inscription,   with 
sunk  gilt  letters  : 

A  JOSEPHINE 

EUGENE    ET    HORTENSE 
1825 

A  statue  of  Carrara  marble,  the  work  of  Cartellier, 
represents  Josephine  in  Court  dress.     She  is  kneeling 
on  a  cushion  near  a  prie-Dieu^  which    is  much  too 
s  273 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

small.  This  statue,  in  the  opinion  of  those  who 
knew  the  empress,  resembles  her  perfectly. 

In  the  ancient  chapel  of  the  Lords  of  Buzenval,  in 
a  vault  built  beneath  the  chapel,  lie  the  remains  of 
Queen  Hortense,  who  died  on  the  5th  October  1837 
at  her  chateau  of  Arenemberg  on  the  shore  of  the 
Lake  of  Constance,  and  whose  body  was  transferred  to 
Rueil  by  Count  Tascher  de  la  Pagerie,  her  mother's 
uncle,  on  the  19th  November  of  the  same  year. 

The  tomb  erected  by  the  Emperor  Napoleon  III  to 
his  mother  was  completed  in  1857.  It  bears  the 
inscription  : 

A   LA   REINE   HORTENSE 

SON    FILS 
NAPOLEON    III 

We  shall  complete  this  appendix  by  copies  of 
extracts  from  two  letters,  addressed  by  Baron  de 
Meneval,  the  private  secretary  of  the  Empress 
Marie-Louise,  to  his  wife.  These  letters  are  written 
from  SchSnbrunn,  and  refer  to  the  Empress 
Josephine's  death,  the  news  of  which  had  just  reached 
Vienna. 

First  Letter 

'Schonbrunn,  loth  June  18 14. 

*  I  learned  yesterday  the  sad  news  of  the  death  of 
the  excellent  Empress  Josephine.  I  could  not  help 
expressing  my  feelings  of  deep  regret  even  to  Her 

274 


THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 

Majesty,  who,  although  she  has  no  cause  to  regret 
her,  still  shewed  her  sympathy  for  such  a  sudden  and 
premature  end.  What  you  write  as  to  Prince 
Eugene's  illness,  and  his  having  probably  contracted  it 
in  nursing  his  mother,  has  affected  me  profoundly. 
Truly  nothing  further  is  needed  to  render  this  high- 
minded  prince  the  perfect  model  of  all  the  virtues 
than  that  he  should  fall  a  victim  to  his  filial  piety.' 

Second  Letter 

*  SchOnbrunn,  15  th  June  1814. 

'  Everything  you  tell  me  about  the  good  Empress 
Josephine  is  exactly  in  accordance  with  my  own 
opinion.  What  a  fate  has  been  reserved  for  every- 
thing that  belonged  to  the  emperor !  One  is  so 
awe-struck  by  each  event  as  it  presents  itself  that  one 
does  not  notice  the  logical  sequence  which  characterises 
them  all.  Without  wishing  to  philosophise,  one 
cannot  help  one's  imagination  being  deeply  impressed 
and  even  appalled  as  to  the  future.' 


275 


INDEX 


Abdul  Aziz,  Sultan,  1 1 

Abrantes,  Duchesse  d',  65,  73,  77, 
106,  109,  141,  176 

Abrial,  M.,  69 

A9y,  M.  d',  16 

Aiguillon,  Duchess  of,  27 

Aix-la-Chapelle,  loi 

Aix-les-Bains,  199,  205,  206 

Aldobrandini,  Prince,  158 

Alexander,  Emperor,  vide  Russia, 
Emperor  of 

Alvinzy,  Field- Marshal,  49 

Amiens,  Treaty  of,  84,  87 

Andlau,  M.  d',  219 

Andreossy,  Mme.,  54 

Andrieux,  53 

Anne,  Princess,  of  Russia,  154, 
182. 

Arberg,  Mme.  la  Comtesse  d',  144, 
207,  213-216,  256 

Areola,  50 

Arenberg,  Prince  of,  148 

Arenemberg,  Chateau  of,  273 

Arnault,  M.,  28,  52,  53 

Artois,  Count  of,  75 

Aubenas,  M.,  6,  9,  13,  16,  20, 
21,  26,  27,  31,  34.  35.  37,  41, 
46,  55.  65,  72,  73.  80,  93-95, 
102,  104,  108,  144,  147,  151, 
153,  166,  168,  184,  186,  193, 
205,  210,  211,  223,  235,  243, 
244,  250,  252-254,  256,  257,  262, 
263 

Aubigne,  Fran9oise  d',  10 

Aubusson,  M.  Hector  d',  144 

Audenarde,  M.  d',  196 

Auerstadt,  142 

Augereau,  Marshal,  238 

Augsburg,  115 


Augusta,     Princess,     daughter    of 

Elector  of  Bavaria,  124-126 
Austerlitr,  ill,  120-122,  128 
Austria,  75,  78,  iii,  155,  161,  182, 

251 
Austria,  Emperor  of,  182,  185,  231, 

248 
Austria,  Empress  of,  231 
Austria,  John,  Archduke  of,  vide 

John,  Archduke  of  Austria 
Autun,  Bishop  of,  51 
Avrillon,  Mile.,  209,  210,  246 

Baden,  67,  iii,  119,  123 

Baden,  Grand-duke  of,  vide  Baden, 
Hereditary  Prince  of 

Baden,  Grand-duchess  Stephanie 
of,  vide  Beauharnais,  Mile. 
Stephanie  de 

Baden,  Hereditary  Prince  of,  126, 
258 

Bagatelle  (in  Bois  de  Boulogne), 
230 

Barere,  24 

Barral,  Monseigneur  de,  Arch- 
bishop of  Tours,  214,  259 

Barras,  35 

Bassano,  Duke  of,  243 

Batavian  Republic,  67 

Bausset,  M.  de,  166,  169,  170, 
229,  263,  265 

Bautzen,  236 

Bavaria,  78,  155,  183,  236 

Bavaria,  Maximilien  Joseph,  Elec- 
tor of,  116,  119,  121,  232 

Bavaria,  King  of,  vide  Bavaria, 
Maximilien  Joseph 

Baylen,  153 

Bayonne,  150-153 


277 


INDEX 


Beauharnais,  Viscount  Alexander 
de,  10-15,  18-26,  28,  32,  34,  49 

Beauharnais,  Mile.  Emilie  de,  55 

Beauharnais,  Eugene  de,  7,  14,  18. 
23.  31,  32,  45,  55,  57,  59,  60, 
79,  86,  95,  102,  109,  no,  115, 
117,  124-126,  128, 148,  156,  158, 
159,  163,  165,  168,  174-178,  183, 
184,  190,  197,  201,  203,  207, 
211,  215,  218,  219,  221-223,  227, 
231-233,  237,  238,  246,  247,  249, 
251-253,  255-258,  269,  270,  272, 
274 

Beauharnais,  Mile.  Fanny  de,  16, 
20,  36,  54 

Beauharnais,  Viscountess  Josephine 
de,  vide  Josephine,  Empress 

Beauharnais,  Count  Claude  de,  126, 
258 

Beauharnais,  Marquis  de,  11,  16, 
23,  36,  258 

Beauharnais,  Marquise  de,  49 

Beauharnais,  Marquis  Fran9oise  de, 
126 

Beauharnis,  Mile.  Stephanie  de, 
126,  131,  135,  258 

Beaumont,  M.  de,  144,  219 

Beauterne,  Chevalier  de,  262 

Berg,  Grand-duke  of,  129 

Berlin,  131,  132 

Bernadotte,  Mme.,  Queen  of 
Sweden,  32 

Berthier,  M.,  69,  104 

Bertrand,  Abbe,  i,  2,  5,  81,  257 

Bertrand,  M.,  architect,  272 

Bessieres,  General  de,  69,  77,  158 

Bethizy,  Viscount  and  Viscountess, 
16 

Beugnot,  M.,  269 

Blois,  238,  242,  243 

Bologna,  47 

Bonaparte  family,  i,  82,  92,  loi, 
no,  126 

Bonaparte,  Jerome,  112,  126,  145, 
186 

Bonaparte,  Joseph,  32,  75,  115, 
126,  152 

Bonaparte,  Mme.  Joseph,  106 

Bonaparte,  Mme.  Louis,  85,  106 

Bonaparte,  Louis,  brother  of 
Victor,  112 

Bonaparte,  Louis,  48,  55,  82,  117, 
126,  127,  129,  186 

Bonaparte,  Louis,  sons  of,  117 

Bonaparte,  Lucien,  84,  98,  99 


Bonaparte,  Mme.,  35,  38 
Bonaparte,  Napoleon, /^Ji'm,  vide 

Contents. 
Bonaparte,  Victor,  II2 
Bordeaux,  150,  151 
Borgheze,  Pauline,    Princess,  102, 

106,  186 
Borgheze,  Prince,  186 
Bouille,  Marquis  de,  14,  15 
Bouille,  Mme.  de,  144 
Bouilly,  53,  54 
Bouillon,  Princes  of,  212 
Boulogne,  88-91,  in 
Bourbon  family,    76,  83,  93,   139, 

251 
Bourbon,  Duchess  of,  252 
Bourlier,  Monseigneur,  214,  217 
Bourrienne,  M.,  72,  79,  93,  99 
Brescia,  45-47 
Brienne,  240 
Brignole,  Mme.  de,  144 
Bron,  General  de,  21 
Brunn,  123 
Brussels,  88 
Buda,  158 
Bude,  M.  de,  209 
Burgau,  114  ^ 

Buxhowden,  General,  122 
Buzanval,  Lords  of,  273 

Cadore,  Duke  of,  209 
Cadoudal,  M.,  92 
Cafifarelli,  Mme.,  54 
Caffarelli,  Colonel,  69 
Cambaceres,  M.  de,  65,  100,  105, 

162-164,  168,  179,  181,  182,  186, 

188,  227 
Cambis,  Mme.,  36 
Campan,  Mme.,  31,  43 
Campo  Formio,  50 
Canisy,  Mme.  de,  144 
Cantelen,    Mons.    Lecoulteux    de, 

57 
Caprara,  Cardinal,  82 
Carlsbad,  231 
Carnot,  35 

Cartelier,  M.,  sculptor  272 
Cases,  M.  de  las,  3,  4,  81,  263. 
Castellane,  Mile,  de,  140 
Castel-Nuovo,  46 
Catherine,       Grand-duchess,       of 

Russia,  146 
Caulaincourt,  Marquis  de,  20,  69, 

96 
Ceconi,  Miles.,  16 


278 


INDEX 


Chaptel,  M.,  69 
Charles,  M.,  60 
Charles   IV,  King  of  Spain,  149, 

151*  152 
Chaumont-Quiltry,  M.  de,  219 
Chenier,  Joseph,  53 
Cheramy,  Mens.  P.  A  ,  35,  84,  105 
Cherbourg,  90 
Chevreuse,  Mme.  de,  144 
Chezac,  M.  et  Mme.,  16 
Cisalpine  Republic,  67 
Clary,  Desiree,  32 
Cobenzl,  Count,  75 
Coburg,  Prince  of,  248 
Cochelet,  Mile.,  17,  250,  254 
Colbert-Chabanaes,  Marquis  de,  90 
Colbert,  Mme.  de,  144,  218 
Compiegne,  200,  203 
Constant,  33,  34 
Constantinople,  ii,  32 
Corbineau,  Colonel,  144 
Cramayel,  M.,  70 
Crimean  War,  254 
Cregny,  Mme.  de,  56 

Dam  AS,  Mme.,  54 

Damour,  Citoyenne,  57 

Danube,  156 

David,  53 

Davout,  General,  69 

Decres,  M.,  69 

Denmark,  67 

Denon,  Mme.,  56 

DenoD,  M.,  79,  262 

Deschamps,  M.,  150,  219 

Didelot,  M.,  70 

Didot  (publisher),  2,  38,  134,  234 

Dresden,  140,  143,  230,  236 

Dubuc  de  Rivery,  Mile.,  il 

Duchatel,  Mme.,  144 

Duels,  53 

Ducrest,  Mme.,  30,  72,  212,  213, 
215,  217,  218,  220-225,  227,  229, 
238,  240-242,  245,  253,  255,  257, 

259 
Ducrest,  Mile.,  207,  208 
Dulaure,  M.,  4 
Dumoulin,  Mme.,  30 
Duplan,  152 
Duroc,  General,  69,  84 
Duval,  Alexandre,  53 

Ebersdorf,  158 

Egypt,  55-57,  59.  60,  62,  124 

Elba,  Island  of,  244,  252,  256 


Elysee  Palace,  197 
Emmery,  M.,  30 
Enghien,  Duke  of,  93-95 
England,  78,  84,  87,  88,  90,  in, 

254 
Erfurt,  130,  153,  154,  160,  182 
Essling,  157 
Essling,  Prince  of,  227 
Eugene,  Prince,  vide  Beauharnais, 

Eugene  de 
Evreux,  85,  212,  214,  216,  219 
Evreux,  Bishop  of,  259 
Evreux,  Mayor  of,  221 
Eylau,  134,  136,  142 

Ferdinand,  Prince,  of  Spain,  149- 

152 
Ferrara,  47 

Fesch,  Cardinal,  103,  181,  262 
Feuillade,  M.  La,  144 
Fleury  de  Chaboulon,  2 
Fontainebleau,  16,  23,  28,  29,  137, 

144,    161,    162,    165,    166,    241, 

243 
Fontanelli,  Colonel,  69 
Fontane,  M.  de,  96,  97 
Fouche,  M.,  69,  78,  80,  82,  92,  93, 

98,  136-140,  145-147,  181,  266 
Fouler,  Colonel,  144 
Francis  II,  Emperor,  vide  Austria, 

Emperor  of 
Frankfort,  3 

Friedland,  136,  141,  142 
Frochot,  Count,  176 

Galard-Bearn,  M.  de,  144 

Gaudin,  M.  69 

Gazzani,  Mme.,  219 

Geneva,  206-208,  238 

Genoa,  50 

Gentille,  Mme.  de,  144 

Georges,  Mile.,  35,  84,  105 

Georges,  M.,  89 

Gera,':i29,  130 

Germany,  155,  157,  164,  254 

Germany,  Emperor  of,  75,  122 

Girardin,  M.  Stanislas  de,  52,  176 

Gisors,  22 

Godol,  Prince  de  la  Paix,  149,  151, 

152 
Goldsmith,  29 
Grandmaison,  Perceval,  53 
Grave,  M.  de,  144 
Guiche,  Duchess  of,  75,  76 


279 


INDEX 


Hamburg,  30,  31 

Hanan,  236 

Harleville,  Colin  d',  53 

Harville,  Mons.  d',  119,  144 

Hatzfeld,  Mme.  de,  131 

Havre,  16,  17 

Helvetic  Republic,  67 

Hesse- Cassel,  67 

Hohenlinden,  75 

Hohenzollern, 

Holland,  127 

Holland,  King  of,  vide  Bonaparte, 

Louis 
Holland,    Prince    Royal  of,    141, 

254 

Holland,  Queen  of,  vide  Hortense, 
Queen 

Horeau,  Dr,  255 

Hortense,  Queen,  1-5,  7,  16,  17, 
23,  31,  40,  41.  57,  77,  79,  81, 
82,  86-88,  99,  102, 115-117,  125, 
127-129,  131,  135,  141,142,  151, 
159,  165. 172-174,  177,  186,  190, 
195,  205,  206,  209,  210,  215, 
220,  227,  235,  242-244,  248,  249- 
259,  262,  269,  270,  272,  273 

Houdelot,  Mme.  d',  54 

Hue,  M.,  16 

Hungary,  158 

Iena,  130,  142 
Iller,  (river),  114 
Inn,  (river),  114-I17 
Isabey,  176 

Italy,  123,  148,  158,  175,  177,  183, 
210,  211,  237,  246,  247 

Jamaica,  14 

Jamais,  M.  et  Mme.,  16 

John,  Archduke  of  Austria,    152, 

158 
Josephine,  Empress,  passim^   mde 

Contents 
Junot,  General,  40 
Junot,  Mme.,  106 

Kaunitz,  Prince  of,  121 
Kilmaine,  44 
Knobelsdorf,  M.  de,  128 

Labedoyere,  Colonel,  262 
Laeken,  Palace  of,  141 
Lannes,  General  de,  69,  77,  157 
Lannes,  Marechale  de,  144 


Lasalle,  158 

Lascaris-Vintimiglea,  Mme.,  144 
Lastic,  M.  et  Mme.  de,  219 
Lauriston,  Colonel  de,  69,  79 
Lauriston,  Mme.  de,  70,  144 
Lausanne,  209 
Lavalette,   M.   de,    65,    146,    167, 

168,  181 
Lavalette,  Mme.  de,  144 
Lebrun,  M.,  3rd  Consul,  65,  77 
Lebrun,  Captain,  69 
Legouve,  53 
Leipzig,  236 
Lemercier,  53 
Lenormand,  Mile,  de,  29 
Leoben,  50 
Liege,  88 

Ligurian  Republic,  67 
Lille,  88 
Lintz,  118 
Lombardy,  37 
Lormian,  Baour-,  53 
Louis  XVI,   9,  21,   22,    76,    140, 

259 
Louis  XVHI,  140,  250 
Louis- Philippe,  67 
Lu9ay,  M.  et  Mme.  de,  69, 
Lucca,  47 
Luckner,  21 
Ludwigsburg,  112 
Luneville,  75,  78 
Lutzen,  236 
Luxemburg  Palace,  25,  32,  65 

Mack,  General,  114 

Mackan,  Mile,  de,  219 

Madrid,  154 

Maintenon,  Mme,  de,  10 

Malmaison,  la,  57,  58,  71,  76,  79, 
84,  85,  95,  96,  150,  IS9,  191, 
192,  194,  196,  201-205,  207,  210, 
215,  221,  225,  227-229,  231, 
233,  234,  237,  239,  240,  242, 
243,  245,  246,  249,  250,  252 
253,  255-258,  262 

Mannheim,  iii 

Manoir,  M.  du,  144 

Mantua,  44,  45,  47,  48,  50,  238 

Marat,  137 

Marbois,  M.  Barbe-,  69 

Marengo,  75,  158 

Marescot,  Mme.,  144 

Maret,  Mme.,  144 

Marguerite,  M.,  105 

Marie-Antoinette,  Queen,  85,  259 
180 


INDEX 


Marie-Louise,  Archduchess,  after- 
wards Empress,  7,  152,  185,  199, 
200,    222,    228,   230,  231,  234, 
238,  241,  242,  244,  256,  273 
Marly,  58 
Marmirolo,  44 

Marmont,  Marshal,  37,  43,  50,  56 
Marois,  Captain  le,  37,  69,  116 
Marrac,  Chateau  of,  150,  151 
Martinique,  9-12,  14-18,  30,  31,  33. 

36,  91,  98,  109,  243,  268 
Massena,  General,  114,  227 
Mathiessen,  M.,  30 
Maussion,  M.  de,  243,  244 
Mayence,  23,    24,    loi,   128,  129, 

131.  132 

Mehul  (composer),  53 

Memmingen,  114 

Meneval,  Baron   de,   91,   95,  129, 

132,  146,  150,  153,155-157,  159, 

190,  2CXD,  266,  273 

Meneval,  Baroness  de,  201 
Metternich,  Count,  Austrian  Am- 
bassador, 137,  182,  185 
Metternich,  Mme.  de,  183 
Michael,    grand-duke,    of   Russia, 

253 

Michaud,  M.,  71,  79,  168,  178, 181 
Milan,  43,  44,  47,  48,  53,  109,  no, 

126,  175,  207,  211,  231,  238 
Mole,  M.,  262 
Mombello,  50 
Monaco,  M.  de,  219 
Montalivet,  Mme.,  144 
Montebello,  Duke  of,  vide  Lannes, 

General  de 
Montebello,  Duchess  of,  217 
Montesquieu,  M.  de,  144 
Montesquiou,  Mme.  de,  230 
Montesson,  Mme.  de,  67,  68 
Montholon,  M.  de,  219 
Montmorency,  Count  Mathieu  de, 

20 
Montmorency-Matignon,  Mme.  de, 

144 
Montmorin,  M.  de,  16 
Moreau,  General,  75,  92,  93 
Mortemart,  Mme.  Victor  de,  144 
Moustache,  154 

Munich,  113,  116,  119,  121-126,  i6l 
Murat,  General,  92,  147,  150,  232 
Murat,  Mme.,  T],  78 

Namur,  88 

Nansouty,  General,  144   "^ 


Naples,  78,  233,  238 
Naples,  King  of,  186,  233 
Naples,  Queen  of,  186,  200 
Napoleon  Bonaparte,  passim^  vide 

Contents 
Napoleon  III,  Emperor,  i,  5,  II, 

16,  141,  142,  151,  227,  254,  273 
Napoleon's  sisters,  98,  102,  106 
Narbonne,  M.  de,  181 
Navarre,    Chateau    of,     198,    199, 

201,  202,  206,  209-215,  218,  219, 

221,  225,    228,    229,    239,  240, 

242,  243 
Necker,  52 
Nemours,  177 
Nesselrode,  248,  251 
Ney,  Marechale,  144 
Nice,  37 
Nicolas,    Grand-duke,  of    Russia , 

253 

Noisy-le-Grand,  Church  of,  12 
Normandy,  85,  88 

Ordener,  General,  144 
Orlans,  Duke  of,  67,  68,  213, 
Orleans,  Duchess  of,  213,  252 
O'Meara,  Dr.,  235 
Otranto,  Duke  of,  vide  Fouche 

Pager  IE,  de  la,  vide  Tascher  de  la 

Pagerie 
Palatine,  Archduke,  158 
Panthemont,  Abbey  of,  15 
Patricol,  M.,  13 
Paul,  Princess,  119 
Peninsula,  150 
Peron,  Mme.  de,  144 
Peschiera,  46 
Picard,  53 
Piedmont,  37 

Pius  VII,  Pope,  101-103,  153 
Plombieres,  56,  84,  87,  90,91,  157, 

T59,  199 
P6  (river),  47 
Poix,  Prince  of,  66 
Poland,  133,  134 
Polignac,  brothers,  92 
Polignac,  M.  de,  252 
Portalis,  M.,  69 
Portugal,  78 
Pourtales,  M.  de,  219 
Prague,  140,  231 
Pregny,  Chateau  of,  209 
Pressburg,  123,  124 
Prokesch-Osten,  M.  de,  7 


281 


INDEX 


Prussia,  67,  127-129,  134,  143 
Prussia,    King    Frederick   William 

of,  128,  130,  142,  230,  253 
Prussia,  Queen  Louise  of,  128,  13 1 

Raab,  118 

Ragusa,  Duke  of,  37,  43,  56,  241, 

244 
Rapp,  Colonel  and  General,  69,  77, 

160 
Raucourt,  Mile.,  35,  84,  85 
Regnier,  M.,  69 
Reichstadt,  Duke  of,  7,  175,  221, 

222,  229 
Reiset,  General,  Viscount  de,  259, 

260 
Remusat,  M.  de,  70 
Remusat,  Mme.  de,  70,  144,  218, 

240 
Renaudin,  Mme.de,  11,  12,  14,  16, 

20,  23,  36,  49 
Republics,     Batavian,      Cisalpine, 

Helvetic  and  Ligurian,  67 
Rhenish  Confederation,  230,  236 
Rhine,  116,  155 
Richelieu,  Castle  of,  227 
Riviere,  M.  de,  92,  252 
Rivoli,  50 

Robespierre,  27,  28,  66 
Rochefoucauld,  Duke  de  la,  20,  22, 

99 
Rochefoucauld,  Mme.  Chastulet  de 

la,  loi,  144,  213 
Rohan-Chabot,  Count  Charles  de, 

22 
Rohan,  Ferdinand  de.  Archbishop 

of  Cambrai,  144 
Rome,  50,  102,  153,  175 
Rome,  King   of,  vide   Reichstadt, 

Duke  of 
Roguevaire,  56 
Rothiere,  Battle  of  la,  237 
Rouen,  85 
Roverbella,  44 

Rovigo,  Duke  of,  94,  265,  266 
Rueil,  227,  257-259,  272,  273 
Russia,  Emperor  of,  122,  143,  153, 

154,  182,  230,  248-251,  255,  256, 

258 
Russia,  78,  III,  122,  123,  127,  133, 

141 -143,  155,  164,  230,  254 
Russia, Grand-duchess  Catherine  of, 

vide  Catherine,  Grand-duchess 
Russia,    Princess    Anne    of,    vide 

Anne,  Princess  of  Russia 


Sacken,  General,  258 

Saint- Albin,  Abbe  of,  213 

Saint- Amand,  M.  de,  62,  63,   137, 

184,  188 
St.  Cloud,  §4,  88,  100,   loi,  143, 

152,  231 
St.    Helena,    4,    7,    68,   81,    153, 

261 
Saint-Hilaire,  M.  de,  223,  224 
Saint-Jean  d'Angely,    Count  Reg- 

nault  de,  186,  189 
Saint-Jean  d'Angely,  Mme.  Regn- 

ault  de,  54 
St.  Leu,  Duchess  of,  177 
St.  Leu,  Chateau  of,  250 
St.  Pierre,  Bernardin  de,  53 
Saint   Simon   Courtemer,  M.   de, 

144 
Salm-Kirbourg,     Prince     of,     20, 

23 

Sanois,  Mile,  de,  9 

Savary,  Colonel,  69,  89,  194 

Savary,  Mme.,  144 

Saxony,  King  Frederick  Augustus 
of,  140,  143 

Scarron,  Mme.,  144 

Schonbrunn,  159,  160,  273,  274 

Schwartzenberg,  Austrian  Ambas- 
sador, 183 

Secherons,  210 

Sedan,  88 

Segur,  Mme.  Octave  de,  144, 
218 

Segur,  Mme.  Philippe  de,  144 

Serbelloni  Palace,  44,  48 

Solar,  Mme.,  144 

Soult,  General,  69 

Souza,  Mme.  de,  248 

Spain,  67,  149,  150,  153,  154 

Staaps,  159,  160 

Stadion,  Count,  Austrian  Foreign 
Minister,  137,  182 

Stael,  Mme.  de,  52,  53,  209 

Strasburg,  23,  96,  115,    116,   123, 

155,  157,  159 
Stuttgart,  III,  119,  123 
Sweden,  67 
Switzerland,  206,  210 

Talhoukt,  Mme.  de,  70,  144 
Talleyrand,  51,  52,  69,  80,  82,  93, 

98,  104,  117,  181,  270 
Tallien,  M.,  27 
Tallien,  Mme.,  27,  54,  66 
Talma,  33,  53 


282 


INDEX 


Tascherde  la  Pagerie,  M..  9,  15 
Tascher     de     la     Pagerie,     Mile. 

Josephine,        vide        Josephine, 

Empress 
Tascher  de  la  Pagerie,  Mme.,  30, 

31,  109,  148 
Tascher    de     la    Pagerie,    Louis, 

142 
Tascher    de     la     Pagerie,     Mile. 

Stephanie,  148 
Tascher  de  la  Pz^erie,  Count,  258, 

273 
Texel  (island)  90 
Thermidor,      Our  Lady     of,     27, 

66 
Thiars,  M.  de,  115 
Thibaudeau,  81,  83 
Thiers,  M.,  88,  92,  162,   165,   183, 

184 
Tilsit,  142,  143 
Toulon,  25,  56 
Treves,  Elector  of,  113 
Trianon,  191,  193,  195 
Trois-Ilets,  9,  30 
Tuileries,  65-67,    72,   83,   92,   98, 

102,  103,    108,    128,    175,    176, 

183,  186,    192,    195,    204,   216, 

232 
Turenne,  Mme.  de,  144,  218 
Turin,  43 
Turkey,  78 

Turpin-Cresse,  M.  de,  219 
Tuscany,  Grand-duke  of,  49 


Ulm,  Capitulation  of. 
United  States,  79 


[3-115 


Valenciennes,  24 

Varennes,  21 

Vaux,  Mme.  de,  144 

Venice,  50 

Verona,  44,  152,  183 

Versailles,  Bishop  of,  259 

Vicenza,  Duke  of,  248 

Viel-Castel,  M.  and  Mme.  de,  219 

Vienna,  7,  75,  114,  118,  119,  123, 

124,   132,    137,    152,    156,    158, 

159,  244,  273 
Villeneuve,  Admiral,  90 

Wagram,  158 

Walsh- Serrant,  Mme.,  144,  218 
Warsaw,  136 
Waterloo,  262 

Watier  Saint-Alphonse,  Mme.,  219 
Weissenburg,  24 
Wellington,  Duke  of,  139 
Westphalia,  Kling  of,   vide   Bona- 
parte, Jerome 
Westphalia,  Queen  of,  186 
William,  Prince  of  Prussia,  254 
Wlirmser,  General,  44,  46,  47,  49 
Wurtemberg,  iii,  236 
Wiirtemberg,  Elector  of,  112 
Wurtemberg,  Electress  of,  119 
Wurtemberg,  Princess  Catherine  de, 
126,  145 


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